And yet the darkness lingers
By Cobaltblue Kitty
Disclaimer: Down't own them, wish I did. Not making any money off this either.
Do own the kids, dog, and Beathan though.
Pairings: 1x2x6, 3x4, OCx5
Comments: This fic is set in the Between love and duty universe.Takes place
in the years between part ten and the epilogue.

-------
A.C. 204, Mid Feb.
-------

The Ledgehorn Institute was one of the most sophisticated and advanced
hospitals for the treatment of mental illness in the world. With highly
trained doctors and nurses and the latest in drugs and machinery. Their
security system was also top notch. They had to be since they took the most
dangerously unstable patients. Ones who commited horrible crimes against
their fellow humans and would do so again given half the chance.

Naturally, they kept their patient's identities a secret. Many of those
residing within these steel reinforced walls had commited crimes which orginally
drew a lot of media attention, and a lot of hostility from the general public.
There were also people who had followed these poor twisted souls and might
try to attempt a rescue should they find out.

So Ledgehorn kept it's secrets close. They took every measure possible
to see that no one discovered their list of patients.

But sometimes, no matter how good securtiy measures are, no matter how
many people believe in what they're doing, there's always one bad apple
in the lot who places the value of money over that of human life.

"Are you positive that this information is accurate?"

The young officer nodded to his regal superior. "Yes Sir. We finally
succeeded in breaching their security wall. Everything that the janitor
told us was true. The Princess of Sank is a patient of Ledgehorn. She is
listed as a level one risk, suffering from delusions, paranoia, acute obsession,
and strong homocidal desires."

"Preposterous! This is the Princess of the Sank Kingdom, the daughter
of old King Peacecraft himself! She could no more be afflicted with such
mudane maladies than you or I."

He kept his peace. It would do little good to remind the old aristocrat
of the long recorded history of mental illness that cropped up occasionly
in every royal line, including Sank's. The only thing it would do would
be to incur his superior's wrath. And right now he'd rather not deal with
any form of punishment.

"It's obvious that her enemies have bribed the medical staff to
lie about her condition in order to keep her confined. It is up to us as
her loyal court to see to her release and reinstatement as Queen of the
Sank Kingdom." One fist pounded on the ornate oaken desk. His cold
blue eyes narrowed. "And what of her brother the Prince?"

"He lives in Crete Sir, along with his husband and their two children."

"Husband? well, I suppose it's not too out of line. Their union
has produced offspring. Two you say?"

"Yes Sir. Fraternal twins, boy and girl." He flipped open a
notepad. "Their names are Darius and Alessandra."

"Do we know anything about this husband?"

"His name is Duo Maxwell Sir. There is very little known about his
early years. He was an orphan on L2, the sole survivor of the Maxwell Church
massacre, piloted the Gundam Deathscythe during the wars. He's still listed
as a reserve member of the Preventers with the rank of Captain."

"It is disturbing that we can't track his lineage, but at the moment
it doesn't matter. What information have you on the children?"

The young man handed over a folder, watching as the older man sorted
through the various shots of the two platinum-haired, violet-eyed children.
"Both children show signs of being in the high range of intelligence
and social skills."

"They are quite beautiful, every bit the Peacecraft they were born
as."

Again, he kept his mouth shut. The twins showed much of their birth parent's
bloodline as well as evidenced by their startling violet eyes and mischevious
grins.

The old aristocrat set aside the photos, his features once again hardening.
"And what of the Princess's absent fiancee?"

"He's been staying with Prince Milliardo and his husband since Princess
Relena was admitted to Ledgehorn. Reports listed him as recovering from
a bullet wound and severe malnutrition as well as a few other minor illnesses.
His health is now perfect and.." He wasn't sure how to say the next
part.

"Go on man." His superior snapped.

"Yes Sir. Heero Yui recently became the second husband to the Prince."

"WHAT??"

The young man took a small step back from the desk. "Yes Sir. All
the documents are legal. Heero Yui is now a member of the Peacecraft line."

Rage etched every inch of the old noble's face, even his moustache was
bristling. "He is promised to the Princess and to the Princess he shall
belong! We will just have to convince of the error of his ways."

"Yes Sir." Better not to argue with the man. He and his cronies
were almost as unstable as the young woman they blindly followed.

"Order the assembly of the strikeforce. We free the Princess tonight."

"Yes Count Levon." The officer saluted.

Relena eyed the door to her cell.

All day she'd had this feeling that something was about to happen.

Something wonderful, something she'd longed for ever since the day she'd
woken up in this hellish place. Imagine putting someone like her, a Princess,
in an insane asylum! The very idea was preposterous!!

It was all their fault. Those meddling friends of that whore Duo. He
probably asked them to see that she was out of the way. The staff here were
all obviously well paid for their part in her incarceration. They refused
to listen to her story just as they refused to release her. No, they just
kept her locked up away from even the other patients here and dosed heavily
with drugs.

There were no windows in her cell, no way to tell how long she'd been
here. The drugs often times stealing days or even weeks away from her reckoning.
Certainly a long time, several years in fact.

This thought disturbed her greatly. Her children would've been raised
by Duo and her brother all these years, never knowing their true mother
was imprisoned by the street rat they called mother. And Heero, where was
Heero? Did he survive her accidentally shooting him? If so, where was he?
Why hadn't he come for her? She had a sinking feeling she already knew.
Shacked up with Miliiardo and his family.

Relena ground her teeth in frustration. It made her nauseaous just to
think about it. Heero, her beloved knight, bedded by that gutter-running
bastard. His filthy paws touching Heero's pure skin, his foul cock corrupting
his pure body!

She'd made a vow to herself. As soon as she could Relena would see Duo
dead at her feet for the shame he'd forced Heero through. If anything had
happened between them while she was here Relena was certain it wasn't consensual.
She'd make Duo pay for Heero's rape, or she wasn't a Peacecraft.

Faint sounds now came to her ears. It sounded like...gunshots?

The noise grew closer.

And the closer it got the more excited she became.

Her moment of liberation was at hand!

The heavy metal door to her cell burst open and in walked several armed
men.

"Your Highness. We're here to rescue you."

And Relena smiled. "What took you so long?"

"AHHHH!!" Heero sat bolt upright in the bed, breathing heavily
and shaking. That had been the most disturbing nightmare he'd had in years.
It was all so real, almost as he were there watching the whole thing unfold.

The bodies, the bloodstained white walls, and worst of all Relena's smiling
face as she walked to freedom....He shivered convuslively at the thought.

Two pairs of strong arms came up to encircle him. Two heads leaned forwards
to kiss and nuzzle his neck.

"Heero? Are you all right?" Zechs' strong voice whispered in
his left ear.

"Was it another nightmare?" Duo asked on his right.

Heero nodded. "Yes, another nightmare...But I can't help feeling
that this was something a little more."

"Something more? What do you mean?" Duo pulled him a little
closer, sighing as Zechs' long arms gathered them both to him.

"A warning, it was a warning." Heero shivered. "Something's
going to happen."

Duo caught Zechs' gaze and saw the same worry there as he knew was reflected
within his own violet orbs. "We'll check with Quatre in the morning
and see if he had any nightmares too.

"Agreed, now why don't we try to get some more sleep." Zechs
urged his two husbands back beneath the warm covers, keeping both still
within his protective embrace.

It was a long time before any of them returned to slumber.

{{"....news from Italy. The famed Ledgehorn institute for the
criminally insane was the sight of a bloody attack. Our roving reporter
Jess Sockow is on the scene with the latest. Jess?"

The picture shifted, displaying a slim young lady dressed in a grey
suit. "The situation here is very grim Ray, I haven't seem such carnage
and bloodshed since the war. As of this moment 14 staff members are listed
as dead, another 5 are seriously injured. There are bullet holes all over
the walls, ceilings and even the floor, blood is everywhere. Investigators
are saying this is definately the work of professionals."

"Jess, is there any information availible as to why the raiders
attacked?"

"This attack was in fact a rescue. After a careful check it
seems one of the patients is missing. The door to her room has been blown
off it's hinges. The staff have verified that she's no longer on the grounds.
We can only assume she left with the raiders."

"Do you know who this escapee is Jess? Has Ledgehorn released
her identity yet?"

"Unfortunately not Ray. The Chief of staff here refuses to release
the patient's name, But he did say that the proper athorities have been
notified and she would soon be back in their care."

"Did they say anything about this mysterious patient so that
we can pass it along to our viewers."

"They did say she was dangerous, but only to those that get
in her way. She isn't a danger to the general public."

"That at least is a bit of good news. We will return to this
story when anything new develops. Now, back to our weath-"}}

*Click!*

Une sat in her plush office chairs and thought about how to break this
news to the pilots. While she doubted that Wufei, Quatre, and Trowa wouldn't
do anything past treating the girl to a bit of rough handling, Heero and
his husbands were another matter.

She could already see Duo chasing Relena about with a small hand-sized
version of his Gundam's staff, cackling gleefully as he took swings at her
head. Heero would be pointing his gun and pulling the trigger, toying with
her before he blew her head off. And Zechs, her own brother, would be assisting
his husbands in whatever way they needed.

It was going to take a hell of a lot of effort to get them to go into
hiding till they could find Relena and return her to her nice padded cell.

Quatre was already at the breakfast table when the three men arrived,
surrounded by the rest of the house's guests.

He looked very pale and Trowa was actually holding his husband in his
chair. Without the green-eyed pilot's support the Arabian would've fallen
to the floor. Quatre held a mug of coffee with both hands, sipping a little
every so often. It wasn't an easy task with his hands shaking so much.

"Quatre?" Duo knelt by his friend's side. "You okay?"

"Relena's escaped."

All three fell silent.

"She was freed last night after a raid on the facility that was
treating her."

"Oh God! Now what! I swear, this time the bitch is going down for
good. I gonn shove a rocket up her p-"

"Duo! Language!!" Beathan snapped. "Remember who's listening.

Four children and two dogs were looking at him and waiting. Calida was
dividing her attention between her striken mother and silent father and
her uncles. Darius and Alessandra were clinging to Zechs and Duo's legs
when they realized the evil woman that almost took them away from their
mother was somewhere loose. And Iian was snuggling in Beathen's arms, seeking
to hide in his father's shirt.

Shinigami was setting next to Beathan and Wufei's Corgi Shenlong with
a canine grin plastered to his muzzle. She was loose and he might get another
chance to take care of the threat her being alive presented to his pack.

"Okay. Then what the blazes are we gonna do about this? You all
know that the little twit is gonna come looking for her Heero."

"Lady Une had offered a safehouse we can use for the duration of
this crisis." Wufei said as he touched his son to reassure him. "I
think we should take it."

"I don't like hiding." Duo snapped.

"If it were just us, I would say we get ready and go hunt her down.
But we have children now Duo. We have to think of their safety first."
Trowa pointed out, calm despite the threat to his family that was even now
wandering loose on the world.

Duo sighed in frustration. Trowa was right. Relena warped little mind
still probably believed that the twins were really her and Heero's children.
She wouldn't even blink an eye as she kidnapped them. He shuddered at the
thought of his dear ones in the hands of that twisted bitch. Well, she wasn't
going to lay so much as a single finger on their heads. He'd see to that.

And as for Heero, Duo planned to make it perfectly clear to Relena that
Heero despised her. Maybe he'd tie her up and force her to watch Heero make
love to him before he skewered her on the end of his thermal scythe. The
look on her face would certainly be worth a little embarassment.

"Okay, contact Une and tell her we'll take up her offer. Everybody,
start packing."

Count Levon watched the Princess pace his office as they waited for word
on the Princess's fiancee. he couldn't take his eyes off the scars she was
adorned with. He'd read the reports of the dog attacking her during the
struggle with the Duo and the gun, but thought those injuries were properly
dealt with at the hospital. Each vivid red line which marred her pale flesh
a constant reminder of her defeat that day, laid low by a dog of all things!

"Are you sure this man is reliable?" She snapped for perhaps
the tenth time.

"Completely Your Highness. I'd trust Seth with my life."

Relena bit back a reply. Right now she needed these people as an ally
till she regained what was hers. After that, well there were laws in place
to deal with terrorists weren't there? And if there wasn't she could always
write some. Maybe sh'e keep a few of them, like this Count around on the
other side of the desk.

The door opened and a thin young man entered and bowed to both of them.

"Seth, what news have you for me?"

Pale grey eyes studied both of them. Relena shivered, a small spark of
sanity returning to her eyes. There was something about this man that litterally
screamed danger to her. She wasn't so far gone that she would disreguard
all potential threats around her and focus on her target.

But she made a note in her mind to see that this one wasn't one of those
left alive after this was over.

"The Preventers have beaten us to the punch Sir. The entire lot
have been moved to a safehouse Lady Une has offered them. The position of
this safehouse hasn't been found yet."

"DAMM THEM!!" Relena screeched, her voice pitched high enough
to break glass. She turned on Count Levon. "YOU SAID WE WOULD HAVE
THEM EASILY!"

"We will still find them Your Highness. I will put more men on it
immediately."

"See that you do my good Count. Every day that my Heero is in that
braided slut's grasp is a day too long!"

"Of course Your Highness. And what are your orders concerning your
brother and the other pilots?" The Count asked.

An evil grin spread like a creeping snake across her scared face. "I
want them all, alive and unharmed, before me. I want to punish them for
their parts in all this, personally." She started towards the door
then stopped. "Oh, and that includes that dammed mutt too. I owe him
for the scars I now carry. It wouldn't be proper to punish the others and
leave him alone."

"Everyone, including the dog. It shall be done Your Highness. You
have my word on this."

"I'll hold you to that word Levon." She exited the room, but
not before whispering to herself. "For if you fail, I'll have your
head!"

-------
A.C. 204, April
-------

Things were getting claustrophoic.

The pilots and their families had been in hiding for almost a month and
a half now.

They stayed on the estate's grounds. Buried deep in the old wood forests
of Austria it was remarkably well concealed by the surrounding mountains
and heavy branced trees. Equipped with top of the line security and heavily
shielded electronics there was no way for anyone to track the place down
by using any call going in or out. There was enough food in storage to last
the whole group and their protectors for several months to come. Water was
pumped up and purified from the underground river which also generated the
estate's electricity. There was satilite tv, a well stocked library, and
even a few board games to play with.

It was one of the best safe houses they'd ever been in.

And right now they'd give anything to be out of it.

The unknown faction that had freed Relena had attempted several times
to hack into the Preventers computer in an effort to find the safehouse's
location, only to rebuffed each time. And while they weren't skilled enough
to break in, they had more than enough to cover their tracks in the matter.
Even the Preventer's best hackers couldn't track the enemy back to their
lair.

Heero and the other pilots were getting restless. Each of them wanted
to be out there, hunting down the threat to their family and eliminating
it. But they couldn't leave the children unguarded. It wasn't as if they
didn't trust the Preventers assigned to assist in securing the estate. These
were their children, and they weren't about to leave them in anyone's hands
except family.

And family meant this small band of pilots, one cultural anthropologist,
and two willful and intelligent Corgis.

Of all of them Shinigami and Shenlong had adjusted the fastest to their
new surroundings. Upon arrival the dogs spent the day, and the next several
after that, exploring the grounds and the house itself. Every tree, bush,
and rock was checked and sniffed. Every nook and cranny, under every piece
of funiture and behind every door was explored. Once the furry pair was
satisfied they now knew their temporary home the Corgis settled into a pattern
of patrol and guard. Shin preformed a regular patrol of the grounds just
has he had back at their home in Crete while Shen kept a watchful eye on
the children. And while they did feel some of the tension in the air both
dogs were content enough to wait for whatever danger was out there to come
to them.

Count Levon felt the events around him were slowing sliding out of his
grasp. Each day without word of the pilots new hideout was another day he
saw the Princess grow more dissatisfied with him. He could see the anger
in her eyes each time she looked his way, mingled with something that he
had come to realize was indeed madness.

At times her behavior was exactly what he would expect from a young Princess
of the realm and heir to the throne.

There were other moments however when she became somewhat...erractic
to say the least. She screamed at her servants, destroyed any objects within
her immediate grasp, and swore in graphic detail just what she was going
to do to the pilots when they were at last delivered to her.

Relena had developed a definite sadistic streak, and woe to any that
crossed her.

He gotten several reports already of maids whom the Princess took a dislike
to suddenly disappearing. One day they were there, the next, gone. No notice
or removal of their private possessions. They were just gone. When he asked
Relena about the missing ones she just gave him a sweet little smile and
reminded him he should be searching for Heero and the pilots instead of
worrying over a few stupid staff.

The missing servants he might've chalked up to desertion and her strange
behavior a lingering reminder of her time in the institute. But there was
one other thing that he couldn't dismiss, the one thing that set his nerves
on edge every time he thought about it.

He had been unable to sleep one night and had wandered out into the garden.
Levon was enjoying the soft breeze and starlight when a little sound caught
his attention and he moved to investigate. What he saw shocked and nearly
made him throw up right there.

There was the Princess setting on one of the garden benches dressed in
a pink silk nightgown. A delicate little smile played on her face as she
giggled with a child's glee and played with something in her lap. At first
he thought they were only marbles or some balls from a child's game. It
was only when he crept closer did he realize what they really were.

There in her lap were a pair of eyeballs.

Human eyeballs, trailing little shreds of red flesh as she rolled them
about.

She giggled again and raised one up, gazing into the unseening orb's
violet depths.

And then she....

He barely made it out of her hearing before he threw up.

The next day he avoided the Princess. It was impossible to see her and
not remember the look of absolute pleasure that adorned her face as she
devoured her grisly playthings.

And another maid had gone missing.

Anabell was her name.

And if he remembered right her eyes had been violet....

Duo stepped out onto the balcony. Without saying anything he walked over
to stand by his second husband. Heero glanced over in acknowledgement of
Duo's presence. Together they stood there and watched the sunset. As the
myrid shades of red, pink, orange, and purple danced across the sky the
two young men slid into each others arms.

Heero's hands slowly caressed his beloved's back as he rested his head
on Duo's shoulder, breathing in his scent, listening to his heartbeat. This
was his comfort position, to be sheltered by either Duo or Zechs' arms,
kept safe from all the horrors of the world by their love. Neither man had
ever denied him when he sought out this reassurance. Indeed they seemed
to need it as much as he did.

Duo pulled Heero a little closer when he felt the other man shiver, placing
delicate little kisses on the exposed neck and cheek. Sometimes Heero was
so fragile in his emotions. All those long years of training, the war, and
his years chained to Relena's side had taken their toll on the Perfect Soldier,
stripping away much of the emotional detactment he'd once used to see himself
through life. He needed the others to see him through, to help guide him.
To keep him from losing the humanity he'd discovered within himself.

"I'm worried." Heero whispered.

"So am I, the others as well." Duo answered him softly.

"I can't stop wishing that something would happen, so this waiting
would be over." Heero pulled away. "Do you think that's wrong?"

"No, I think we've all had that thought over the last few days.
This waiting is wearing on everyone's nerves. There hasn't been a single
sighting of Relena since her escape. No one's is any closer to finding out
who sprung her than they were when we came here." Long fingers brushe
a stray lock out of Heero's eyes.

"I checked over the files Une sent to us, there's nothing there
which I could use to track the hackers, not without returning to headquarters
and spending several days there. If they are even half as smart as they
seem they must be watching the Preventers. I'd be walking right into their
trap." The Japanese boy's hand slid down Duo's back to grasp the end
of the swinging braid, fingers toying with the fine strands at the tip.

"They probably planned for you to do just that."

"Then they must very mad by now that I didn't fall for it."
Heero chuckled faintly.

Duo smiled. "I love to hear that sound."

"What?"

"Your laughter, soft or loud, it doesn't matter. I just love to
hear it."

One hand came up to cup Duo's cheek. The braided man leaned into his
husband's touch, closing his eyes and sighing sofly. Heero smiled and kissed
him tenderly on the forehead.

"Why don't we go inside. It's getting chilly out here." He
suggested.

"You're cold Heero?"

"Not really, I just want to get you into that nice warm bed in our
room."

Duo brightened immediately and began pulling Heero back towards the balcony
doors. "Well now, we can't have you catching a chill can we? Why don't
I take you inside and warm you up a bit."

"I'd like that."

On one of the mountains, on an old hiking trail, a man lowered his binoculars
and smiled.

Seth had done quite a bit of searching old files to find out about Lady
Une's background. Of her own family and her involvement with General Treize.
The former leader of OZ had left her much of his personal holdings, both
money and property, in his will to the woman who had served him so faithfully.
Une had never used the money on herself, having set it aside as a trust
for Marimara. And as for the estates, much of these were private areas and
weren't listed in many of the local files. It had taken him all this time
to discover their exact whereabouts, and to check each one on the list.

They always said third time's a charm, and they were right.

On his third check Seth had hit paydirt.

Right there on that balcony he'd seen them, the ones the Princess wanted.

And where Heero Yui and Duo Maxwell were, the others were sure to be
as well.

He walked back down the trail towards where he'd parked his jeep, whistling
a jaunty little tune, thinking that after he called in his report he might
stop by that little pub he'd passed a get a drink to celebrate.

Zechs found himself grumbling under his breath as he walked back to the
rooms he shared with his husbands.

He hated it when he did that, it always meant that he was too stressed
out over something.

And after spending an hour talking, or more precisely arguing, with Lady
Une Zechs had every right to be so.

Une had changed so much over the years since the war. Her two personalities,
saint and soldier, had merged, leaving behind a much better person and leader
than ever before. But occasionally traces of those old personas reared their
ugly heads.

The Lady Une that he was first familiar with, cold and callous, showed
her face today. She hadn't been resting too well lately, the need to recapture
Relena driving her to cut her sleep short. Stress, lack of sleep, and worry
about what the insane woman might be capable of doing had managed to drag
the soldier back to the surface, if only for a little while.

She ordered he and Wufei to attend a Preventer meeting tomorrow to discuss
the latest lead, the best one they had received yet. Trowa and Quatre were
to accompany them as well. Several of the Winner's business associates had
arranged to meet with him in the security of Preventers HQ to hammer out
a contract they'd been negotiating.

Heero and Beathan would remain behind with the children.

Of course Zechs had argued against it. First of all, they ran the risk
of leading the enemy right back to the safehouse if the HQ was being watched.
And second, they all preferred to remain together, just in case danger did
come along. They were family, and families stuck together. Une just ignored
that, reminded him to have himself and the others ready, and cut the connection.

Now he was all upset. He needed to burn off some of this frustration.

Opening the door to their rooms Zechs heard a faint sound coming from
the bedroom, a sound he was VERY familiar with, and never grew dull of hearing.
He now knew exactly how he could vent this frustration. Easing the bedroom
door open he leaned against the frame to watch the two men on the bed who
had come to mean the world to him.

Heero was laying on the bed, legs spread wide. His head pressed deep
into the pillows as he arched and jerked, long fingers buried deep in Duo's
thick hair. Little mewing cries and sharp screams filled the air as the
braided man's mouth worked it's wonders on Heero's straining sex.

Duo loved doing this to both of them, bringing them to the very brink
of extasy and then holding them there.He loved to hear them beg and plead,
loved to hear the raw love and need in their voices. This time was no exception.

"AHHHH!" Heero's whole body nearly left the bed, only Duo's
weight and strong hands held him in place.

Midway through his begging Duo at last relented and took Heero into his
hot mouth once more, sucking him in deep, tongue rubbing hard against the
underside of his cock. Teased and tortured, held at the edge of orgasm for
nearly half an hour, Heero's release took him with the force of a hurricane.
Duo rode it out, drinking down every single drop of Heero's seed that was
offered to him.

Finally Heero lay there in a sweaty sated sprawl, chest heaving in an
effort to gain his breath, a blissful smile plastered on his face. When
at last he had regained enough strength Heero looked down at Duo who was
still setting there between his legs, his own cock hard and weeping.

He also saw Zechs.

Duo followed his lover's gaze, a slow sensual smile spreading over his
face as he looked at his other husband, half-lidded eyes dark with desire.

"Well hello there," Duo purred seductively, his sleek frame
rising in a stretch carefully controlled to display every single inch of
him

Zechs' cock jumped at the sound of Duo's voice, the sight of Duo's body.

"Is this a private party, or can anyone join in?"

Duo and Heero both responded to the rough growl that was Zechs' bedroom
voice.

"By all means, please join us. Three is so much more fun that two."

Both men watched with lustful appreciative eyes as Zechs walked over
to them, stripping off clothes with each step. Thank heavens he had the
good sense to wear slip-ons, Zechs would hate to embarrass himself by trying
to take off boots while still looking sexy. As soon as he was within reach
both Duo and Heero dragged him to them, stripping off his last piece of
clothes and tossing to the floor.

Two sets of hands wandered over his body, caressing the firm muscles.
This was how there lovemaking usually started; with them touching him and
he reciprocating then moving onto discovering what their mouths could do
before they inevidibly made love. But Zechs was too keyed up to play it
slow tonight. He batted their hands away and reached for the tube on the
nightstand.

Duo understood. He took the lube and turned to the man still laying beneath
him.

"Heero..?"

Duo didn't need to ask, Heero was very willing to give what he wanted
and showed it by lifting his legs up. Grasping them behind the knees he
spread them as wide as he could, exposing himself completely.

Duo moaned at the unbelievably erotic sight. Uncapping the tube he squeezed
out a healthy dollop onto his trembling fingers. Heero gasped as the cool
gel was smeared across his opening, fingers swirling it round and round
before one digit slowly pressed it's way past the ring of muscles and into
his body. Duo took his time preparing Heero. He knew that it turned Zechs
on to watch. A second finger joined the first, moving in and out, scissoring
open to stretch the tight walls. Heero began to moan, body moving with the
invaders as he sought more of their pleasurable touch.

Then it it was Duo's turn to moan as Zechs began preparing him to receive
his aching cock.

Once everyone was ready Duo coated his cock with the slick gel and got
into position, feeling Zechs copying his movements behind him.

Heero let out a shuddering gasp as the blunt head of Duo's thick shaft
passed through the tight ring of muscles. Inch by inch Duo sunk deeper into
his lover till at last his balls came to rest against pale cheeks. Remaining
still till Heero adjusted to the welcomed invader was sheer torture. All
Duo wanted to do was bury himself over and over in that wonderful tight
heat. He jerked as Zechs entered him in one slow smooth thrust, his hips
involutarily pressing deeper into the man beneath him.

It was Zechs who set the rhythm, guiding them to what would give the
most pleasure. The pace was slow till all three were moving in smooth unison,
then the speed picked up till each man was litterly ramming into the others.

Duo was in absolute heaven.

Heero beneath him, urging him on with his wild cries and gripping heat.
Zechs behind him, his hard thick shaft pistoning in and out his tight channel
with ever increasing vigor. Already near the edge Duo clung to his fading
control, determined not to come till the others were ready.

Zechs let go, thrusting harder, needing to be as deep inside his love
as he could go. With each sharp snap if his hips he drove Duo's cock deeper
into Heero; he was making love to both of them, both his husbands. This
thought only served to push him closer towards completion. Reaching around
Duo's straining body Zechs took Heero's erection in his hand and stroked
it in countertime to their thrusts. That was all it took.

Heero screamed, high and long, thick white cum erupting from his cock,
coating Duo's stomach and Zechs' still moving hand.

The sudden increase in pressure along his shaft was enough to send Duo
over the edge. As always his exstatic cries were very loud as he emptied
himself inside Heero.

Seeing his loves reach their peaks, feeling the Duo's orgasm around his
cock pushed Zechs into completion. With a rough shout his hot seed filled
Duo's channel.

Zechs collapsed to one side, he was the heaviest of the three and it
was rather uncomfortable to be squashed by two lovers on top of one. For
several minutes the three men just laid there resting from their exertions.

"Wow!" Duo was the first to speak, as always.

"Wow is right." Zechs agreed.

"It was good." Heero said rather calmly.

"GOOD??!!" Duo squawked. "If it was only good then that
must not have been you screaming like a banshee just a few minutes ago!"

"Correct, I don't scream like a banshee, whatever that is."

Duo shifted so he could look at Zechs, not seeing the playful little
smirk that graced Heero's face. "Do you believe him Zechs? The nerve
of the guy to call mindblowing sex like that just good!"

Zechs met Heero's eyes over Duo's shoulders, reading the desire to play
with their braided mate, and agreeing to it. "Well, I suppose it could've
been better." He sighed dramatically.

"ZECHS!!! What're you talk-" those magnificent violet eyes
narrowed. "Oh, I get it. I know what you two want. Well I hope your
both ready for this cause here I come!"

"Not yet, but you will." Zechs vowed as he met his beautiful
husband halfway.

It was going to be a long night.

But a pleasurable one.

Count Levon kept thanking whatever deity he could recall for Seth's methodical
skill. Now they knew exactly where the Princess's fiancee and his companions
were holed up. Even now a crack team of raiders were being assembled to
capture everyone whom Relena had requested.

By this time tommow night the Gundam pilots and their families would
be in their hands, or more precisely in the Princess's hands.

May God have mercy on their souls.

"Do you really have to go?" Duo whined the next morning as
Zechs donned his Preventers uniform.

"Unfortunately yes. Une was very insistant." Zechs fixed the
last buttom on his shirt.

"This really sucks, you know that don't you?" The braided man
lept off their bed and began to pace. Zechs had to stop dressing and watch
the beautiful site of his husband's naked body being paraded before him
in all it's glory, anger only serving to heighten his allure.

Duo didn't even notice, he was far too mad at the moment. "First,
we get yanked out of our nice homes because your wacko sister gets busted
out. Then we're set here to protect us until they get her locked up again,
and we haven't left here since. The Preventers aren't any closer to finding
her than they were when all this started. And now they want you and the
others to leave the safe house and walk right into a building even an idiot
would be watching for us to go to!"

Zechs didn't answer, after all their years of marriage he knew better
than to interupt his husband when he was in this mood.

"Just how stupid can they be? I thought Une had some sense rattling
around in her head but I guess I was wrong." He stopped and glared
at the tall platinum-haired man. "And if you get yourself killed going
to this meeting don't come running to me to whine about it!!"

The chuckle Zechs let escape now was allowed. Duo always seemed to end
these little tantrums with some odd twist. This time was no exception.

Crossing the room he pulled Duo into his arms, brushing feather soft
kisses across his forehead. Duo sighed and melted against him, face upturned
to receive each touch of his lover's smooth lips. "You will be careful
won't you?" He whispered.

"Always, I have too much waiting for me to come back to." Zechs
replied just as softly. "And will you be careful as well?"

"Yeah. After all I have to be here for when you get back."
And Duo smiled, plucking at Zechs' dress shirt. "I wish we had more
time before you go, this uniform really does something for me."

And Zechs could feel exactly what it did for him. Groaning in frustration
he pushed the shorter man away from him, but not so far as he had to release
his grip on those sleek shoulders. "Well, we don't have time, so cut
that out!"

"Awww, you're no fun!" Duo stomped his foot and began to pout,
something he knew Zechs could never resist, especially in his current state
of undress.

Unfortunately, Zechs' sense of duty overrode his desires this time. But,
judging by the tight set of his jaw, it was a very near thing.

"Sorry my love, but I have to attend this meeting. But perhaps,
when this is over, I'll wear it again, just for you."

"Will you be gone long Mommy?" Calida asked as she sat on her
birth-parent's lap.

"Not long, your Father and I should be back by sunset."

"You promise?" Green eyes gazed up into sapphire ones.

Quatre gave her a tender smile. "I promise."

"Okay." That was enough to satisfy the little girl. If her
Mommy promised something then it would be done, just like if Daddy or one
of her Uncles had said it.

Across the room Wufei was setting on the floor with Beathan and their
son.

Iian was a bright child, far brighter than many children his age. He
knew about Relena and what she tried to do to Uncle Duo and the twins, and
thanks to a little easedropping he knew that the same girl was now loose
and that was the reason they had moved here. Iian never told the other kids,
he didn't want to upset them. His parents and uncles would take care of
the nasty woman.

"You be good now for your Father and Uncle Heero and Uncle Duo all
right?" Wufei smoothed back his son's mane of red hair. It never ceased
to amaze him, how much their son was a blend of the two of them. Their fiery
little dragon.

"Yes Mother, I promise."

Wufei just smiled and hugged Iian close. It no long bothered him when
Iian called him Mother. Evidently he'd caught the idea from Calida and no
amount of admonishments or instructions had been able to change his mind.
Technically it was true, he was the one that had carried and nutured their
son, he was the one that went under the knife to bring him into the world.
By some definitions those feats alone made him the mother.

The scene was being replayed over by the couch. Zechs was kneeling besides
his children and listening to their sweet voices. He stayed there helping
the two built their block castles until the sound of helicopter blades caught
the attention of all there. Gathering up the children those that would be
remaining followed the four who were leaving to see them off. Kisses and
hugs were shared. Sweet words and promises spoken between spouses. All too
soon however the pilot was calling for them to board. The four men strapped
themselves in and waved to their family as the craft lifted off, continuing
to look till the safehouse was but a speck in the green forests.

That evening three trucks parked in the thick bushes at the base of the
trail. As soon as they stopped men, dressed in black body armor and heavily
armed, began jumping out. No words were spoken. Each man knew his job. Silently
the large group, nearly thirty men, began to make their way up the mountain.

Heero was agitated and didn't have the faintest idea why.

Everything was fine. The children were all minding, Beathan was reading
a book, Duo was watching another one of those crazy animes, and the guards
had nothing unusual to report. The situation, as they used to say, was normal.

So why did he feel like they'd just waltzed into an ambush.

This feeling wasn't new, he'd had them in the war. Battle instincts someone
once called it. Some soldiers developed a almost sixth sense about danger,
like some animals seemed to posess about such things as earthquakes. Only
the war was over, there was no more battles to be fought. Humanity was at
peace.

But the feeling continued to build, growing stronger as the sky grew
dimmer, until he couldn't stand it anymore.

Beathan looked up from his book as Heero spun around from his post at
the window and headed for the comm. He watched as the other man attempted
to raise one of the perimeter guards. When no answer came he tried another
frequency..and then another...and another.

No answer, to any of them.

By now Duo was watching, his eyes at first widening with a growing sense
of alarm, then falling back into the cold look of determination the scholar
had only seen once before.

"Duo, Beathan, get the kids." Heero said. "We've got trouble."

Duo didn't hesitate. The braided man was up and out the door before Beathan
could even blink.

"Heero what's wrong?" Beathan asked.

"We've got unexpected guests." The former Wing pilot said.
Striding over the cabinets Heero unlocked one and pulled out his gun. Checking
to be sure it was loaded he pulled out several clips and stuffed them in
his vest pocket. Duo came back with the kids in tow, as well as Shin and
Shen. Wordlessly he handed another gun to Duo along with some extra ammo
which the other man excepted. Then it was Beathan's turn.

The redhead excepted the gun. He knew how to shoot one, even used one
a couple of times during some digs. To be truthful he loathed guns, but
in the interest of seeing his family safe Beathan was willing to put aside
his feelings on the matter. As Heero grabbed a bag and stuffed some explosives
in Beathan reached into the cabinet and pulled out his dirk. Duo gave him
a quizzical look, violet orbs eying the thin blade with interest as Beathan
strapped the sheath to his belt.

"This is for if things get up close and personal." He explained.

"You any good with it?" Duo couldn't help but ask.

"Better than I am with the claymore."

That shut Duo up. He'd seen Beathan use that whopping big sword in training
with Wufei. It was scary what the slim man could do with a sword that from
hilt to tip was almost five feet long.

Just then the lights went out.

"They've cut the power." Duo whispered to no one in particular.

"Duo," Heero called to get their attention. "You and Beathan
take the children out the south tunnel, hide in the forest somewhere. I'll
cover you."

"What? No way Heero! You've gotta come with us!!"

But Heero only shook his head. "You know what they're here for.
Relena wants me and the twins, and probably everyone else as well who had
a hand in sending her away. And we both know she wants you Duo. She hates
you and won't stop till she's killed you." He cupped one hand to his
husband's cheek. "I don't want to see you in her hands, I can't bear
the thought of you getting hurt. Please Duo."

And then Heero was out the door, sliding down the halls, gun in hand
and ready.

Duo tried to go after him only to feel Beathan's hand on his shoulder
restraining him. "No Duo, you heard him."

The shoulder beneath his hand slumped and Beathan let go, turning to
kneel so the children could hear him better.

"Okay kids, we're going to play a little game of hide and seek.
We're all going to go to the library and go down one of the old tunnels
and out into the forest. I need for all of you to stay very quiet and stay
together. Do you understand?"

The small group of now terrified children nodded, clutching each others
hands tightly.

"Is it the bady lady Father?" Iian's little voice spoke up.

"Yes."

That was enough for the kids. They all knew about the bad lady Relena.

"Okay, let's go. Remember what I said, stay quiet and stay with
us."

Duo took the lead. He crept down the halls, eyes scanning the dimness
for any movement. Once more the old training came to the fore, pulling with
it all the instincts Duo had laid aside after the war. Behind him came Beathan,
the kids, and the dogs. Shin and Shen had taken up positions on either side
of the little group of children. With body nudges and little head butts
the two dogs herded the children along, keeping them from spreading out
or trying to wander off.

Everyone jumped when the sounds of gunfire and explosions started.

"Faster!" Duo hissed. "We've got to move faster!"

Heero dove behind the large chest and came up firing. He could hear more
shooting outside. Some of the surviving guards must have run into the attackers.
Good, the more that were tied up fighting the fewer there were to hunt down
his family. The house shook as an explosion rocked it to it's very foundations.
Heero smirked, he hoped his enemies enjoyed the booby-traps he'd laid out
with a little explosives and some wire.

Movement off to the left! Without any real thought Heero aimed and fired,
grinning with satisfaction at the gargled scream and silently thanked whoever
it was that made armor piercing rounds. Another down. One less to worry
about.

The attackers were more cautious now. They had expected some resistance
as their targets were former Gundam pilots, but that was years ago. Surely
without proper use the skills that made them one of the most formidable
forces in the war had long ago apathied. Such now seemed not to be the case,
in truth far removed from it. Their foe's skills were just as sharp and
deadly as they ever were, perhaps more so since he was motivated by the
need to protect that which he loved.

And he had all the advantages here.

He knew the house, all it's angles and hiding places.

And while they were under orders to bring the pilots in alive their prey
had no such restrictions, as he had already demonstrated several times.

Still, orders were orders. No one wanted to go back and tell Count Levon,
and the Princess, they'd failed. Putting aside their guns each man pulled
out a tranc gun and stood ready.

Heero saw his chance to advance to a closer position, one which afforded
more cover, and sprinted forwards. The air filled with a strange hissing
noise that at first Heero couldn't identify. It wasn't until the first dart
hit his side that the Japanese man realized what was happening. Several
more darts hit home, sending their payload of sedatives into his system.
Desperately Heeo huddled behind the couch and yanked out each dart he could
reach. But it was already too late, too much of the drug was in his system.
His vision blurred and a cold numbness began to creep into his limbs, leeching
away his will and his control.

He fought it with every trick Dr. J had taught him, trusting the modifications
made to his body would give him the edge.

Not enough, not nearly enough.

After several minutes without any movement from their foe's position
the leader advanced cautiously, real gun up and ready if this was a trick.
But he needn't have worried.

A thin smile graced the leader's face as he looked down at the unconscious
body of Heero Yui laying there, gun still firmly clutched in his hand.

Duo fired, taking down one of the men that had jumped them.

Shinigami and Shenlong doubleteamed another, hamstringing him. To Shin
went the pleasure of tearing his throat out when he fell to the floor.

Beathan shot one man in the heart. But another came from the side knocking
him off balance. The gun flew out of his grasp as he hit the floor hard.
Pain exploded across his jaw as his attacker threw a hard right. Beathan
snarled, he may be down but he wasn't out, not by a long short!

One knee rammed upwards with all the force he could muster. Body armor
may be good against many forms of ammunition but it was virtually worthless
against a crotchblow from this angle. The man pinning him down let out a
squeal and doubled over.

The dirk made a hissing sound as it was drawn, as if in atticipation
of the bloodshed to come. One sharp thrust and the thin blade was buried
deep in the man's side. Beathan jerked it upwards and twisted, severing
the kidney and slicing through major arteries along the way. Blood bubbled
up from the man's mouth and Beathan shoved him away. It wasn't the first
time he'd killed but unlike that stormy night at the dig he felt absolutely
no remorse. These men had come to kidnap, to deliver every one of them into
the hands of a deranged maniac. They deserved whatever they got.

A sharp snap from behind sent the redhead spinning around, dirk up and
ready, only to relax as he saw Duo drop the body of the man whose neck he'd
just snapped.

The kids were huddled in a little group, the two dogs once more guarding
and soothing their young charges. Too young to really understand that they'd
just seen five men die each child nevertheless knew that the bad men wouldn't
be hurting them and that was what mattered at the moment.

"You okay?" Duo panted, retrieving his gun.

Beathan nodded and raised his blood smeared blade in salute.

"C'mon, let's go."

Once inside the library Duo led them strait to the far wall where he
reached into one of the shelves and triggered the release. The tunnel door
slid open and the two adults hustled the children and animals inside before
pulling the heavy door shut behind them. Once satisfied that it was sealed
Duo pulled a flashlight from a shelf and snapped it on. Beathan took another
light and once again took the rear while Duo led them down the dark passage
to safety.

The truck bounced again as it hit another pothole. The trail wasn't exactly
the best but so long as it got them to their destination what did a little
discomfort matter. The leader of the attackers gaze shifted from the scenery
outside back to the man laying at his feet, out cold and bound hand and
foot with the strongest restraints they could find. The sedatives should
keep him unconscious for at least six hours but with this one it better
to be safe than sorry.

The others would follow as soon as they aquired the rest of their quarry.
Right now his orders were to get this one to the Princess as soon as possible.
Another two minutes and they'd be at the small clearing where a helicopter
waited.

Duo and Beathan crouched at the small cave's entrance, weapons ready,
eyes scanning the darkness for any signs of pursuit. Shin was laying between
the two men, his superior senses better suited to the task at hand. Behind
them the children were piled beneath a blanket, snuggled up against each
other for warmth and comfort. Shen lay with them, adding her bodyheat and
soothing presense to the mix. She too kept her eyes on the small hole they'd
crawled thru to reach this hideaway. No one spoke, silence was perhaps their
best weapon right now.

The sound of advancing helicopters broke the early morning stillness
and sent the remaining attackers scrambling to reach their transports. Things
were going to be bad when they got back to their base.

They may have captured Yui, but they'd failed to find any of the others
the Princess wanted. No other adults and certainly no children. Each man
could only hope their superiors would be merciful with their punishment.

Four helicopters crested over the mountains, armed to the teeth and baring
the Preventers logo on their sleek sides. Two split off and raced off to
intercept the truck that their heat sensors had picked up speeding away
as fast as the trail would allow. The remaining 'copters landed on the long
yard, men and women in preventor uniforms spilling out, fanning out in a
search pattern.

Four men and two women were last to exit, all looking exhausted and battle
worn.

Wufei looked around, noting the bullet holes, explosion craters, and
dead bodies with a growing sense of anger and absolute terror. Where were
Beathan and Iian? Was Duo and the children all right? He gripped his gun
tighter, vowing bloody retribution even if so much as one hair was displaced
on any member of the family they had become.

Zechs limped forwards, favoring the leg a lucky shot had nicked. Sally
had tried to make him stay at HQ and rest but he wasn't about to. It was
bad enough that the Preventers home base had been attacked while they were
in the midst of the meeting, but they hadn't been able to raise any of the
guards posted at the safehouse.

And even if he'd been blown in two Zechs was going to find out what had
happened to his family, even if he had to drag his bleeding body there to
do it!

Trowa and Quatre were frantic to find their daughter. Images of finding
her corpse drove them forwards, totally ignoring everyone around them. Their
eyes were only for that angelic face with it's marvelous green eyes. Their
ears aching to hear the sweet melody of her voice calling to them.

"MOMMY!! DADDY!!"

Two heads jerked up.

And she was there, alive and whole, running towards them in her little
lavendur nightgown, now smuged with dirt.

"CALIDA!!" Broke from two throats as the two men grabbed up
their child, holding her between them, running their hands over her to reassure
she was real, kissing every inch of her face and head. The little girl clung
tightly to her parents and cried as she had wanted to all last night.

"DAR!! ALESSA!!" Zechs shouted. "DUO!!! HEERO!! WHERE
AR-"

"HERE!! HERE!!"

And his heart leaped into his throat as he saw one of the men he loved
along with their children stumbling out of the bushes.

He forgot his leg, forgot the pain, forgot that stiches that now tore
under the stress. All that mattered was his family. Tears stained all their
faces as they collied in a flurry of hugs and kisses.

Wufei let out a shuddering sigh of soul-felt relief as Beathan came into
view, Iian cradled protectively in his arms. He couldn't help crying as
the strong arm of his husband gathered him close. Wufei held onto his mate
and child, breathing in their scent, touching and being touched, reassuring
each other that this was real, that they were really together and safe.

Duo pulled away and noticed for the first time Zechs' fresh from battle
appearance. "What happened?"

"They attacked Preventer HQ. Two carbombs and a suicide squad. The
fighting got dirty." Now Zechs had to ask. "Heero?"

Meanwhile the two dogs, once satisfied that their charges were in safe
hands, had sped off. Shin and Shen raced along the safehouse's corridors,
eyes, ears, and noses on maximum, seaching for the last missing member of
their pack. With each room they passed without any sign their whines grew
in intensity.

Even as the leader of the Preventers sweep team reported to Une and the
others of Heero's absence the dogs set up a mournful howl for their lost
one, echoed by Duo's fearful cry as he collapsed on the lawn.

~Drip..drip..drip...~

It was dark, and cold.

~Drip..drip..drip...~

Groundwater was seeping in through the ceiling, years having taken their
toal on the once solid dungeons the castle laid claim to.

~Drip..drip..drip...~

Faint scratching sounds could be heard as the dungeon's rats went about
their business. Occasionally one of them would raise it's head and peer
with beady eyes at the dark's newest inhabitant before moving on.

~Drip..drip..drip...~

One cell along the old hall was different from it's fellows.

A new door, bright and silver, had replaced the old wooden one which
was in the process of rotting away. Reinforcements had been laced through
the walls, ceiling, and floor. No vent shaft was bigger than that which
a rat could crawl through.

All these changes were made in preperation for one very special 'guest'.

Within the cell a pile of thick hay had been thrown into the driest corner
along with a worn blanket; a makeshift bed. The guards didn't feel safe
leaving the cot inside. Given the prisoner's reputation each man had no
doubts that he'd find a way to dismantle it and cobble together some form
of weapon.

They kept their dart guns ready at all times. No real guns were allowed
down here on the Princess's orders. Any who disobeyed would find themselves
sharing the same fate as those that failed to return with the other pilots
and their families. There wasn't a single man that would wish that on anyone,
not even their worst enemy.

So they remained on guard and awaited the sick woman's next orders, twitching
in silent sympathy every time they heard a sound from the special cell.

Heero curled up under the miserablely thin rag, seeking what little warmth
it provided.

He eyed the plate of what looked like food setting there not three feet
away but thought better of trying to eat it. No telling what drugs the grey
slop was laced with, if the unappealing mess was edible at at all. At least
the little pitcher of water looked okay. Maybe later he'd try a sip and
see if any drugs were detectable. If there were perhaps he could empty the
container and place it under one of the leaks he heard within the cell's
confines.

This was like a nightmare. All his fears were being manifested into the
waking world and he could see no way to stop it.

At least he had the comfort of knowing that he was the only one delivered
into Relena's clutches. Duo, Beathan, and the children were safe and no
doubt back with the others. If Une were smart she'd have them moved to another
location immediately, preferrably some large Preventer base with lots of
weapons and personel. Someplace little miss twisted's personal army hadn't
a hope in hell in breeching.

He alone lay in her clucthes, and Heero prayed he remained that way till
either his rescue, or he could find some way out himself.

Whatever happened first he hoped it would be soon. If not he would be
forced to go through Relena's demented plan.

Earlier that day.....

Relena smiled as the two men entered, carrying the stretcher bearing
her unconscious love. He was here! Count Levon had kept his promise. Heero
was once again hers, all that remained was to erase all the damage that
stupid brother and his slut husband had done and once more they'd be happy.

She wanted to follow the strecher, wanted to watch Heero sleep, touch
the firm muscles that rested beneath smooth tanned skin. But other matters
needed tending to. Relena needed to make sure the other prisoners were correctly
searched and locked up, and that the children were being tended to properly.
Her little darlings and their playmates would no doubt be frightened by
this sudden shifting in their world. It would be up to her to see that they
knew the real truth. She was their mother, they were her children. The others
would be kept here only so long as they provided comfort for her sweet ones.
If they got in the way, made her children angry or hurt them, they could
join their parents in the dungeons.

Relena waited, and waited, and waited.

Growing impatient she called to one of the raiders standing by the helicopter.

"You there! Where are the other prisoners?"

The man looked perplexed. "Others Your Highness? There are no others.
Yui was the only one we were able to capture."

A cold fetid shadow settled over her soul, it's chill seeping deep into
her heart, stirring her rage at this failure. Trained to withstand terrors
most men would run screaming from the raider nevertheless cringed back,
fear knawing at his will. At no other time in his life did he feel closer
to death than he did right now.

"Not even the children?" Her voice was surprisingly sweet.
It made her visage all the more terrifying.

"N-no Your Highness."

Without another word Relena lunged forwards, grabbed his sidearm from
it's holster, and stormed back into the estate, leaving the man to make
his way to the barracks. He really needed to change his underwear right
now.

Count Levon looked up from the raid reports when the Princess stormed
in.

"Your Highness," he rose, coming around the desk to greet her.
"We have him, we ha-"

He never noticed the gun in her hand till it went off.

It was quite soothing, the sound of his screams as Levon lay there writhing
on the floor, hands clutching futilily at the area were his genitals once
were.

"You failed me Levon." She snapped and fired into his right
shoulder, throwing her head back as his agony doubled the volume of his
cries.

"Those men of yours only brought back my Heero! No children, and
certainly none of the other pilots!!" This bullet went clean through
his left thigh.

And with the sweetest little smile she knelt down, positioned the muzzle,
and calmly blew the aristocrat's brains all over the pale carpet.

"My, that does look pretty," she mused, studying the gore.
"I can't let it stay though, the smell would bother Heero. I'll have
the maids clean it up." That settled Relena tossed the gun aside, dusted
some imaginary lint from her dress, rose and left, leaving the room and
it's grisly scene of cold-blooded murder behind for the terrified staff
to deal with.

The first sensation to penetrate through the drug-induced fog Heero could
discreen was a hand touching him. Slim fingers trailed long nails slowly
across his cheek, down his neck, to settle on his chest just above his heart.
A sweet scent, gardenia blossoms, assaulted his nostrils, cloying in it's
heaviness. Only one person he knew wore that perfume to such a sickly extent.

Relena.

Gathering up his strenght Heero opened his eyes and groaned in dismay
and anger. It was indeed Relena who was touching him, a totally twisted
look of desire on her scarred face.

"Welcome back my love." She cooed.

He tried to move and found himself bound down to the table he lay on.

"I'm sorry for the restraints Heero, really I am, but they're for
your own good. Until we free you from that whore's control the doctor advises
we keep you chained up."

Cold fear gripped his heart.

Doctor? Free him from control?

"Don't you worry about a thing. Dr. Hoffwin is the best in his field,
he'll have you back to your old self in no time." She turned to the
old man with gold rimmed glasses who was standing not three feet away. "Right
Doctor?"

"Of course Your Highness. Once the sedatives are washed out of his
system we'll begin the deprogramming sessions. Now, given that he was a
Gundam Pilot and no doubt trained to resist such treatments, you do understand
that it may take a little longer that my ususal cases."

"Of course, of course. So long as you bring Heero back to me."
Here her voice hardened. "But keep in mind Doctor, I do not take kindly
to failure. If you don't believe me just ask Count Levon."

"I will not fail. I have never taken on a case that has ever ended
without my success."

"Good, see that your record remains so and your reward will be very
substantial."

"Thank you Your Highness."

She returned her attention to the man straining against the thick metal
tying him down. "Be good my love, my Heero. Do as Dr. Hoffwin tells
you to. The sooner you come back to me the sooner we can be wed and reclaim
our children." Relena whispered his ear before kissing him on the cheek,
not even noticing the involuntary shudder of revulsion that went through
his frame. "I'll check on your progress later. There are some matters
concerning the mission's partial failure I need to discuss with the men."

If the old man saw the sadistic hunger swirling in her blue eyes he gave
no notice.

Once the deranged woman was gone Heero turned his attention to the doctor.

"She's insane." He croaked.

"That's not my concern. I was hired to do a job young man, and I
mean to do it."

"I'm already married. I have a family."

"As I said, not my concern." He brought in several guards from
the hall. "Take him to the cell prepared for him. He can work off the
sedatives there, I'll call for him when it's time."

Heero checked his internal clock.

Eight hours, he'd been here eight hours.

They'd be coming for him soon, of that he was sure.

(Duo, Zechs, where are you? I need you.)

"WHAT'YA MEAN YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING??!!!"

Preventors walking past the medical ward winched and sped up their pace,
not wanting to be in the crossfire should the arguement inside spill into
the hall.

"I'm sorry Duo, but we have absolutely nothing to go on." Lady
Une kept her voice calm. The tired young man before her, still dressed in
his dirt-smeared and blood-splattered clothes, was walking on a razor-thin
edge. Worn down by the physical and emotional struggle of the night before,
all control stripped raw by Heero's kidnapping. The slightest mistake on
her part....

Duo didn't seem to notice the blonde's words, but at least his advance
towards the seated Preventor Leader had ceased, for which Une was profoundly
grateful.

Over on one of the exam tables Zechs winched as Sally rewrapped his leg
wound, grumbling under her breath about stubborn idiots and their lack of
any sense. He ignored her. All his attention was on his husband.

Duo looked at once both beautiful and frightening. With his stained and
torn clothes, skin streaked with blood and dirt, strands of hair escaping
his tight braid Duo was ravishing. But the sheer fury burning in his violet
eyes, the fierce statement, the tightly clenched jaw and fists, sent cold
little shivers through all who looked upon him. Here was power, tightly
controlled yet bare seconds away from devastating release. Catching Quatre's
eye Zechs motioned for him to start moving Duo towards his position.

Nodding Quatre started nudging Duo's body, slowly pushing him closer
to where the taller man waited.

It wasn't easy, Duo didn't want to go backwards. He wanted out of there,
wanted to go find Heero before that little psycho hurt him. But Quatre managed.
Zechs grabbed Duo and pulled him close, wrapping his arms around the suddenly
struggling body.

Duo snarled, fighting against the arms restraining him, succeeding only
in making his husband hold him all the tighter. After several tense moments
Duo finally gave up and collapsed into Zechs' comforting embrace, sobbing
brokenly.

The other man began rocking, whispering soothing words into the thick
chestnut hair. Gradually several of the other men added their arms, creating
a coccoon of warm loving bodies around their distraught friend and brother.

"What about the attackers Lady, haven't they offered up any clues?"
Wufei asked as he stroked Duo's hand, gently prying open his fist.

Une shook her head sadly. "All mercenaries, ex-OZ and Romefeller
troopers. Those that were still breathing when we arrived have been taken
down to interrogation. I have serious doubts that we'll uncover anything
useful from them."

"Give them to me." Duo hissed.

"No, we need them alive." Une replied.

"They'll still be alive. Maybe not all in one piece, but I guarantee
they'll still be alive." Duo leveled his gaze at the stately woman.

It took nearly all her will not to flinch. "No Duo."

Calida, who was setting with Beathan and the other kids, watched all
the goings on with curious eyes. She knew that the bad lady had sent those
nasty men to take them all away, at least that was what the adults were
saying. They knew the bad lady now had Uncle Heero, but they didn't know
where.

"Uncle Beathan?" She looked up at the redhead's bruised face.

"Yes sweetheart?"

"Will the bad lady hurt Uncle Heero?"

Beathan wished she hadn't asked that question, but he couldn't lie to
her. "Yes Calida, I think she will, that's why we need to find her
quickly."

A little frown appeared in that angelic face. "Can Shinigami track
them?"

"No sweetheart, they took him away by helicopter. Shin can only
track things on the ground."

Her frown deepened but she asked no more questions.

Beathan turned his attention to Iian, checking to see if his son was
all right. The little boy was setting under the table tapping away on the
laptop Heero had given him for his birthday. His son had been adamant on
bringing the thing. The scholar wondered what he was working on that could
bring such a look of determination to his little face. After all Iian was
only two years old, even if he was quite intelligent. What could he do on
that thing except play some simple games. Darius and Alessandra were with
him, occasionally pointing at something on the screen and whispering.

Due to the situation Beathan didn't really notice the hard looks in the
twins eyes. If he had the redhead would've been instantly worried. That
look meant trouble, with a capital T.

"What about accomplices? Surely you've kept track of the people
who've been after Relena's reinstatement."

The former OZ Officer narrowed her eyes at the Chinese man, who just
glared right back. "Of course we have. But all those that were vocal
about their inquiries have been under tight surveilance since her escape
with nothing to show for it."

"And the un-vocal ones?" Duo had finally calmed down enough
to enter the conversation again.

"Our investigation has only uncovered three men who might have ties
to Relena, but I suspect that is but the tip of the iceberg."

For the dogs this was a time of great confusion and frustration. Shinigami
kept circling the room, checking and rechecking to make certain the rest
of his pack was accounted for. He watched and listened, occasionally growling
softly.

Why were they still here?

Why hadn't some of his pack went out to search for Heero?

The sick female had him! She would hurt him!

It was up to them as his fellow packmates to free him and kill the female,
this Relena.

Shin huffed at that thought. It would feel so good if he were to be the
one to end that thing's life. Once before he'd been close, so close, to
killing her, only to be stopped by the long-banged one Trowa. Perhaps now
they would see reason and allow the Corgi to finish what he started that
day in the woods.

Shenlong's brown eyes followed her mate's every movement. He was upset
and angry, trying to vent some of those emotions by pacing around the room.
She hadn't been around when the sick female had first attacked Duo, Shen
only knew of this from easedropping on the humans and what her mate had
told her. She understood his desire to kill the sick female. She was a threat
to the pack, to the pups, and most especially to his Duo. While still quite
young Shen as a female had maternal instincts; threats to pups were to be
killed as soon as possible. Two men had found this out the hard way last
night.

Shin wandered over to where Iian and the twins were setting. All three
pups were intently watching something on the noisy thing Heero had given
Beathan and Wufei's pup. Curious as to what it was that held their attention
so Shinigami peered over one slim shoulder.

He snorted. Just a mess of colors and shapes.

Iian bit his lip as he concentrated on the screen. Uncle Heero had been
teaching him all about computers since he gave him this nifty PC. Things
like how to read, and how to write, and how to hack into other people's
computer's without them knowing. Of course Heero didn't know he was teaching
Wufei's son how to be a hacker, he just thought Iian might like to watch
the pretty images as he worked on cracking some files open for Lady Une.
Like all the others Heero believed the red-headed little dragon wasn't up
to that yet. But Iian was a genius, he picked up FAR more than his parents,
uncles, and servants ever thought. One day, he'd show him just how much
he'd learned just by observation.

That day however would be long in coming.

Right now his main concern lay with turning off the child protection
scrambler and finding that search program.

He had an uncle to find.

Dar and his sister set quietly by their playmate and watched as he made
the screen do all kinds of weird things. Much of what he mumbled made no
sense to them, neither being on his level of intelligence. But they wanted
to help, he was trying to find their other parent. They made a few suggestions
when screens popped up that were familiar looking to them, having seen one
of their parents use them, but other than that their assistance wasn't much.

Now they were bored.

Twins...

Duo as their mother...

Big building full of things to play with, rooms to explore, people to
terrify....

All the ingredients for a massive disaster.

Too bad there were men guarding the door.

It would be nearly a week before any lead was discovered. But how much
can happen in six days? How much can one man endure?

Fight.

Stay focused.

Reign in the dizziness that constantly assaulted his senses, robbing
his strength and control. Not even his special metabolism could defeat the
vile chemical stew that flowed through his veins.

How long had he been here?

He had lost track of time. No windows, no way to discreen whether it
was day or night here in this perpetually lit hell.

No use attempting to by the frequent visits of the Doctor either. Heero'd
lost count of the injections he had forced on him, the long and often painful
sessions he suffered through. Pity he couldn't forget the long torturous
hours in that awful room while the Doctor attempted to reshape his mind
to suit Relena's twisted whims. The sick bastard never bothered to check
if the drugs he was using weren't damaging him. His insides felt like they
were on fire.

How long had he been here?

A week?

A month?

A year?

What of the others?

Were they even now searching for him, or had fading belief mired their
efforts till nothing remained.

No! They were still searching! That, above all, must be believed. If
he gave up and relingushed the faint hope that belief granted the young
man might well lose his fragile grip on sanity.

They were searching.

He knew it. Felt it, deep down, bone deep. Duo, Zechs, and the remaining
members of his family were hunting for him even as he lay here in this cold
cell.

Cold. Why was he always so cold now?

Tugging sluggishly on the thin blanket, he curled up tighter beneath
it's meager warmth, trying to collect his thoughts. The drugs may have stolen
away his ability to move beyond a few inches also kept him from concentrating.
The constant pain, lack of proper food, and the strain the damm drugs were
placing on his body were beginning to take their toll. There wasn't much
time left before his systems totally collapsed. Maybe he'd get lucky, maybe
he'd die before Relena and the Doctor caught on and rushed in to prevent
it. No, no such luck. The internal monitor the Doctor had injected that
first day would see to that. He'd know the second one of Heero's vital organs
began to falter.

Another cramp seized his stomach. He whimpered, tears of pain and frustration
coursing down his pale cheeks.

( Why! Why me??!!) He cried silently.

No one answered.

Just when he thought the pain couldn't possibly get any worse the door
to his cell opened. Two burly guards entered towing a gurney. Without any
consideration for his current condition the men yanked him up off his pitiful
bed and dropped Heero onto the cold plastic-covered cushion. He gasped,
shedding more tears as their rough treatment of his body reawakened the
abused areas that had started to settle down a little. The Doctor was waiting
in the hall, Heero could see him out of the corner of one eyes as they strapped
him down. The bastard smiled, holding up a loaded syringe.

"Well young man, since the last batch of drugs proved ineffective
I've decided to try another approach. Some experimental drugs that haven't
officially hit the market yet," he tested the syringe. "Won't
that be fun?"

And with that Heero Yui, Gundam Pilot, fighter for the colonies and savior
of the world, began to weakly struggle against his restraints, screaming
as they wheeled him towards the session room.

The young soldier shook his head in disgust as he watched the gurney
with it's screaming occupant was wheeled by his hiding place.

This wasn't right.

It had been the dream of restoring the Sanc Kingdom's rightful rulers
to the throne that had first drawn him into this. The Peacecraft line was
the living symbol of pasifism, a role model for the world to emulate. And
Princess Relena the most prominent and visual representative of the family.
Her brother had faded back into the shadows, refusing to have any dealings
with both his former homeland and his younger sister.

No reason had been given for the Princess's confinement to that mental
institution, at least none that had officially been released to the press.
After all, why would they put someone like Relena in a hole like that? She
was so sweet, so elegant in her words and motions. Her calm nature and intellect
had steered the human race away from it's path of self-destruction.

His rather idolized view of her had held him in check till last night.

Last night he'd seen Relena Peacecraft, former Queen of the world, and
heir to the throne of Sanc, casually kill a soldier who dared to question
one of her orders. She left the corpse dangling from one of the taller windows,
a rotting testimony to her mental instablity.

He could no longer follow her. She was dangerously deranged and deserved
to be locked away somewhere, away from any innocent whom she might hurt.

He knew who their prisoner was. More importantly he knew what the young
man had done for the whole human race that day Libra fell. His conscience
would not allow him to leave such a heroic man to die in this manner. Like
some damm lab rat!

It was treason.

If the Princess found out his butchered corpse would join that unlucky
man's high above them.

But it no longer mattered whether he lived or died. Only that he right
this horrible wrong he'd helped create.

Sally didn't think things could've gotten any worse that they were already.
She didn't know how wrong she was.

Each day that passed since Heero's abductions saw Duo's anger grow. His
dark nature that had served him so well in battle, that had lain dormant
since the last battle, rose to the fore once more. Preventors went out of
their way to avoid the braided man in the halls. Even hardened vetrans,
who'd faced hordes of mobile suits with little ammo and no hope of survival,
who had nerves of steel, shied away. Some even refused to be alone in any
room with him.

His demeanor only changed when he was with his family, especially the
children. Darius and Alessandra would swarm all over him the minute he sat
down. Hugging and nuzzling their distraught parent till he relaxed. Calida
did her best to help, giving hugs and kisses when she could, but her own
parents needed her too.

Quatre wasn't doing too good. Ever sensitive, the blonde man was picking
up Heero's pain as if it were his own. On several occasions Sally had to
sedate him as the sensations he was receiving became too painful.

These times were the worst for the family to bear. One of their own was
in trouble, in terrible pain, and they had no way to reach him.

The sharp click of her heels echoed off the walls as Lady Une strode
down the halls, her aid and the Lieutenant hard pressed to keep up with
her. She barely slowed as she passed through a group of Preventors, shoving
those aside that didn't move fast enough.

( This could be it, the break we've needed. It just has to be it!! )
The litany repeated itself in her mind. A prayer she dare not breathe aloud
for fear it too would remain unanswered.

She, and just about every man and woman at the base, had been doing a
lot of praying since Heero's abduction.

Prayers for Heero's safe and quick return.

Prayers for the recapture of Relena.

But most of all their prayers were that Duo wouldn't snap on them.

Just thinking about the braided man made the former OZ officer shudder.
He was fine when he was with the children and the rest of his family. It
was when Duo went off alone somewhere that things got..scary. Like when
he was on the firing range, shooting targets to shreds with cold precision.
Or when he spent hours in one loungue throwing a thin dagger over and over
again into one of Relena's old publicity photos. These times were when the
staff avoided him at all costs.

If only this lead would pan out as legitimate. Maybe then Duo would be
able to vent some of this rage inside him.

The guards at the door saluted and opened the door for their commanding
officer into the small holding room.

The man setting at the table looked up as Une entered.

He looked quite a mess. Two days worth of beard stubble marred his face,
warring with the scratches there. His clothes, a uniform of some kind, was
torn and soiled with mud. The man looked as if he hadn't slept in days.

"Lady Une," he rose shakily to his feet.

"I think you have something you wanted to talk to me about?"
She walked into the room.

Relena paced her room, muttering under her breath.

She couldn't believe the sheer incompitence of the people that had sworn
to serve her. First they fail to capture the other pilots and the children.
Some had dared to question her orders. And now that dammed doctor wasn't
living up to his reputation.

Heero was growing weaker by the hour according to him, and was sure to
break soon. Once that happened he could begin restoring his former feelings
for her.

But to Relena's eyes he looked only physically broken. She, in all their
years together, had never seen him so sickly. He looked little better than
a three day-old corpse.

Oh, that reminded her, she'd better get someone to take that dammed idiot's
body down from the window. He was really starting to stink, and the buzzing
flies bothered her.

Maybe she should wait, give the good Doctor some more time. He did have
a such a fine reputation which he was quite proud of. People like that refused
to accept failure; it ruined their perfect records.

Yes, she'd give him a little longer. After that, well he wouldn't have
to worry about his reputation.

Dead people rarely worried about anything.

No one spoke.

Their attention split on the door and the figure hidden by the hanger's
shadows.

Une had broken the news to them about the mercenary that had showed up
at the base with information on Relena and Heero's location. As soon as
her people verified the target they'd all be going to rescue Heero and bring
Relena to her new padded cell, provided they could refrain from killing
her.

Wufei was up in one of the Taurus cockpits, checking over the systems.
Which was better than setting down below with the others watching Duo. The
Chinese man shuddered, the level to which Duo had desended to was frightening
even to him. How could the American still retain, much less improve, upon
the personality he had adopted in battle was beyond his understanding. The
wars were over, battles were few and far between and never reached the intensity
of even the smallest skirmishes they'd once fought. What could Duo have
used?

Or did he have to use anything?

Seeing him so happy and relaxed he and the others oftentimes forgot the
bleak childhood their beloved friend had suffered. Losing the ones he loved,
one right after another, unable to do anything to stop it. That kind of
suffering leaves it's mark on a soul no matter what happens afterwards to
soothe it. Of them all Duo had the greatest desire to protect his extended
family.

And perhaps that was it.

The driving need to defend all those he loved.

The family he'd built with them, the husbands he loved and cherished,
the children he adored.

These were the basis for his increased battle persona.

Below Quatre was pacing, his special gift temporarily numbed by a mixture
of drugs. Sally hadn't been sure the last batch would work, and if it did
there was no way to tell how long they'd last. She'd been very vocal in
her protests when he announced he would be part of the rescue team. Being
so close to Heero's pain might overwhelm him, leaving him vulnerable at
the worst possible time. But while her arguements were valid ones Quatre
would not be dissuaded and eventually even Sally had to back down. That
wasn't saying she had changed her mind, just that she like the others had
learned that when Quatre set his mind to something there was very little
one could do to stop him. At least Sally was coming along with them to give
whatever medical attention Heero might need. She could keep an eye on Quatre.

"What's taking her so long?" Quatre eyed the still empty door
as if by will alone he could materialize Une there with the order to attack.

"Soon Quatre, soon. We don't need to be flying off on a wild goose
chase." Zechs' voice betrayed his own impatience, despite his lazy
stance.

"What do you mean you can't find any information on this property?"

"I'm sorry Ma'am, but all data concerning that site has been wiped
out." The young officer figited under his CO's stern gaze. But there
was really nothing he could do about it. The data was gone, erased, and
no matter how much she snarled and glared he couldn't retrieve it.

"Do you mean to tell me that all this hi-tech equipment," one
hand waved at the computers lining the walls. "The sophisticated programs,
the years of training you've taken, all of it means absolutely nothing??!!!"

"Unfortunately Ma'am, it does."

Une fumed, gritting her teeth as she fought down the urge to pull out
her revovler and shoot this little idiot. If this had been OZ she would've
done it in a heartbeat and spared not another thought for the dead man.
No, Une would've just handed the job to the next man in line had hope he
had learned from his predessor's failure.

Damm, how she hated peace sometimes!

A sharp tug at her pants leg drew her attention downwards.

"Iian? What are you doing here child?" She lifted the little
boy up and set him down on the table.

Wufei's son looked up at her with those fathomless black eyes, a smug
little grin playing about his lips. Right now he was the spitting image
of his birth-parent and for some reason that thought thrilled Une.

"Here." Delicate little hands held out a data disk. "What
you need."

Une took the offered item, staring at it in confusion.

"Password's 'Uncle'." he pointed to the nearest computer. "Try
it."

"I'm sorry Iian, but I don't have time to pla-"

"No game," he glared at her. "Play it."

"Very well." Une inserted the disk and called up the only file
listed, entering the password. A second later her eyes widened, if her jaw
stretched that far it would be on the floor by now. Before her on the screen
was everything they needed to know about their target. Geographic maps,
floor plans, even possible troop positions. Everything, all right there
on the screen before her. But how did Iian get a hold of all of this?

"Iian? Where'd you get this?" She turned back to where she'd
left the boy. "Iian? Iian??"

The boy was no where to be seen.

Iian ran down the halls back to the playroom, a big smile plastered on
his face. He'd done it! He helped find Uncle Heero!

It'd been so easy! Why didn't the adults do he didn't know. Iian simply
used one of Uncle Heero's programs to hack into their mainframe and monitor
what they were doing. Once he found that out it was simple to go in and
retrieve the erased data with another of his Uncle's programs. Stored all
the information on a disk and he was done. Still smiling at his accomplishment
the little dragon ran back to tell the others. Uncle Heero would be coming
home soon.

It was impossible.

Completely, utterly impossible.

Iian was barely more than a baby.

He couldn't possibly have retrieved all this information. No, someone
must have done it and asked the child to give it to her. Probably one of
the newest batch of recruits, they all acted scared of her. Maybe this person
was too shy or nervous to give her the disk face to face.

Shoving that thought aside for contemplation later Une turned her attention
back to the now sweating computer technician.

"Wiped out was it? Evidently someone at this base knows what they're
doing." her eyes hard as diamonds. "I want this copied for the
assault force immediately."

"Ye-yes Ma'am."

Flipping open her comm Une relayed the imformation, ordering the pilot's
support group to be strapped in and ready to fly in five minutes.

The ground shook, fire blossomed in the night sky.

(Damm them!) Relena swore silently. (Why'd they have to attack now? Another
day and I and Heero would've been away from here!)

Watching the destruction of her base play out on the screens Relena gritted
her teeth. She knew that many of the mercenaries had fled and those few
that remained to fight only did so because they had no other option left
open to them. There wasn't a single man outside fighting because he believed
in her.

(Fools, scum, incompitent dogs. Why couldn't Levon have hired some real
soldiers. Ones with a sense of duty to their posts and leaders.)

They wanted Heero.

His so called friends had come for him and nothing was going to stand
in their way.

They were destroying the entire estate, reducing everything to ash and
smoldering rubble in their search. Venting long days of frustration and
worry on the ones they held responsible for fellow pilot's, as well as their
own, suffering.

Relena found herself believing with absolute certainty that should the
other pilots find Heero right this instant they would continue to destroy
the remaining buildings and all the occupants as punishment for harming
one of their own.

Cursing venomously Relena raced from her office, one thought solely fixed
in her mind. The estate and everyone there were doomed, but maybe she and
Heero could still escape. What did it matter to her if the servants and
soldiers died? All she cared for was Heero. So long as her shining knight
was in her arms Relena could care less what happened to the others.

The dungeon guards and medical staff had long since fled.

Having seen the first explosions they had panicked, evacuating everyone
of the non-military staff possible. After all, the house staff and nurses
weren't soldiers. No one had mentioned to them the possiblity they'd end
up right in the midst of a battlezone when they accepted Count Levon's generous
offer. No one gave any thought to their reluctant patient/prisoner, caring
only for their own miserable hides.

Heero lay curled up, shivering, barely aware of anything save the cold
and pain which had become his constant companions.

Earlier, it had been earlier today, or maybe it was yesterday, he'd overheard
the Doctor talking about the next phase of his conditioning. Heero could
only catch a few words but those alone were enough to truly terrify the
young man.

The things they'd done to his body, the beatings and drugs, he could
accept with time. But he was talking about what essentially would be the
total rape of his mind and soul. A man is the sum of his memories someone
once said. What would he be if the Doctor succeeded in removing his memories
and altering his emotions?

The ground shook again. Overhead the lights flickered.

This happened several times before it finally registered on Heero's drug-fogged
brain that the estate was under attack. Hope flared briefly within him.
Maybe this was it, the others were coming to rescue him! He prayed so.

For a second Heero thought his prayers had been answered. But that hope
was soon dashed as his bleary sight focused briefly and he recognized the
man who was the conductor of all his suffering, striding forwards, armed
with a gun and a loaded syringe.

"Your fellow pilots have come for you. They're ripping the whole
place to pieces." The older man yanked the lighter body to his shaky
feet. "You've just become my ticket to freedom. That injection will
help you move, but not enough to let you pull any of your little tricks."

And it was true. Already Heero could feel a small measure of strength
and control return to his abused frame, but only enough to keep him upright
and perhaps to walk. Not nearly enough to put up any kind of fight against
his captor.

"You....can't.." Heero gasped, only to reel away as the Doctor
slapped him hard across the face.

"If you value your life at all, you'd better pray that I can."
He hauled Heero behind him, half-walking half-dragging the man out into
the corridor.

Heero gritted his teeth against the pain coursing through his reawakened
body and tried to keep up with the desperate man.

Duo, Quatre, and Sally made their way down into the dungeons. Wufei and
Trowa were up above creating havoc, keeping the mercenaries distracted,
focused well away from their true target. Making it all the more easy for
their small party to slip inside unnoticed.

Only two guards appeared to block their path. Duo dispatched both easily,
the cold brutal efficincy of his actions sending chills up and down his
companion's spines. He had'nt spoken a single word since their departure
from the base.

Duo was a chatterbox, body and voice in constant motion. A living enbodiment
of electricity, beautiful and deadly.

But right now he was acting more like Heero used to.

Relena carefully made her way down the tunnel, thanking the old architech
who designed the webwork of secret passages that snaked through the estate's
walls. There weren't any lights in these old walkways so she was forced
to rely on a flashlight.

It was a bit scary. The tunnel was dark, filled with cobwebs and dripping
sounds, and she was sure she'd seen a rat at that last corner. But this
was her safest route to the dungeons and Heero. Once she had her fiancee
they would escape through another tunnel and be long gone before anyone
noticed.

"No, brother no longer," his voice floated out of the darkness.
It seemed to come from all sides, she couldn't pinpoint his hiding place.
"My sister is dead."

"But I'm right here, you're talking to me." one hand slowly
edged towards the gun in her jacket's pocket. "Have you forgotten me
so easily?"

"I haven't forgotten, but my sister is dead. She died the day she
lost her grip on sanity. The one who wears my sister's face is only a sad,
twisted, deranged echo of her bright soul."

The sadness in Zech's voice failed to touch his sister's heart. Relena's
eyes narrowed as she caught just the barest hint of movement at the edge
of her light.

"Really Milliardo, you've let fucking that little whore of yours
eat away your brain. Not that you really had all that much to begin with."

And with that she pulled out her gun and fired several times at the area
she believed Zechs was hiding. There was the satisfying sound of something
large and heavy hitting the ground.

Relena laughed, the high-pitched sound of madness. "Oh Milliardo,
couldn't you at least had the decency to scream?" She scolded him.

A hand grabbed her shoulder and spun her around. The last thing Relena
would see was the butt of a gun just a second before it collided with her
head.

Zechs caught Relena's unconscious body and slung it over his shoulder.
He knew he should've killed her just now. A bullet to the brain or heart
and it would be all over. But no matter how the urge to kill her surged
in his veins, she was still his baby sister and he felt the need to see
her safe and alive. This time he'd see that she never got out.

As he strode back the way he'd come in Zechs' thoughts drifted back to
his other husband and their friends.

"Be well my love, find our husband and come back with him, please."

A loud thump followed by cursing up ahead caused Duo to stop in midstride.

Alert, weapons ready, the three edged closer to investigate.

"Get up!! Damm you, GET UP!!" Dr. Hoffwin snarled, roughly
hauling Heero to his feet only to swear even louder was the young man promptly
collapsed again once his hand was withdrawn. Obviously the dose of stimulants
he'd given the former pilot hadn't been nearly enough, having only countered
a tiny fraction of the multitude of drugs rushing through his system.

Heero felt as if he was teetering on the very edge of some deep black
crevice, clinging to edge by the greatest effort of will, will which was
rapidly running out.

"You miserable piece of shit!" Hoffwin spat on Heero's chilly
skin, kicking him twice for good measure. "I should leave you here,
but I still have need of you."

"What you need you sick fuck, is your head blown off!!"

That voice caused the hairs on the back of his neck to stand on end.

He turned to find himself staring down the barrels of three guns trained
directly on him. Wasting no time Hoffwin dragged Heero's limp, shivering
body in front of his own, held upright by one strong arm around his slim
waist, resting the barrel of a pistol he'd taken off some mercenary's body
against Heero's temple.

Duo's narrowed eyes burned with a rage unlike any he had ever known.

The mere sight of his beautiful Heero reduced to this..this deathly apparition,
barely aware of his surroundings or the fact that his own life was in danger,
enraged the braided man into a killing fury, held in check by the merest
thread of restraint.

No matter what, he vowed silently, even if it cost him his own life,
this man would not leave alive.

Quatre reeled dizzily as Heero's pain washed over him in a sickening
rush. It overwhelmed the drugs, etching into the Arabian's mind Heero's
current state. It was as if he was the one who was injured. He was the one
sick, his body that ached, the taste of chemicals fouling his mouth. Gritting
his teeth Quatre shook his head and raised his gun, eyes searching for a
clean shot.

Sally felt the bile raise in her throat. To see Heero, of all people,
abused and neglected in such a foul manner, was incredibly sickening. Didn't
this man, or anyone else here, recognize what a truly remarkable man they
had within their grasp? Why hadn't they realized what a travesty they were
perpertrating and stopped before beginning to torture the young man.

Heero's ribs showed clearly beneath his too pale and heavily bruised
skin. Both arms were heavily discolored from countless injections and IV's.
Those beautifully intense eyes, twin pools of rich indigo full of spirit
and determination, were glazed and unfocused, blinking owlishly in the hall's
lights. Tremors ran through his limbs. The sound of his rasping uneven gasps
filled the air.

"Stay back!" The old man snapped. "Stay back or I decorate
the walls with this man's brains!" He pressed a little on the trigger
to emphasize his words.

Immediately all three rescuers backed down, continuing to glare, weapons
still held ready.

"Let him go." The braided man hissed, scowling violent death.

"No, he's coming with me." Hoffwin tightened his grip. Heero
whimpered at the increased pressure on his sensitive abdomen. "As long
as he's with me you don't dare touch me."

Duo growled, an utterly animalistic sound of fury tearing from his thoart.
The old bastard was right, so long as he held Heero's life in his hands
not one of the pilots would so much as lift a finger against him. But he
couldn't hold the Japanese pilot forever, sooner or later there would be
an opening. Duo just had to be sure he was ready when the opportunity arose.

Quatre saw Duo tense, shifting his balance, out of the corner of one
eye.

"Now, we're just going to take a little stroll. Don't try to follow
us." Hoffwin began backing down the hall, dragging the nearly unconscious
Heero with him.

Sally raised her gun. She'd rather see Heero dead than leave him in hands
of this vile monster. Long fingers slowly began to squeeze the trigger.

"Let him go."

That voice, it came to Heero as if from across a great distance.

Duo. It was Duo's voice.

He was sure of it, at least he didn't think he was hallucinating again.
The Japanese man could pick that annoying, beloved voice out of a crowd
of thousands.

Blinking, he attempted to focus on his surroundings. The sudden pain
rushing up from his stomach actually helping to clear the fog briefly even
as he whimpered under it's onslaught. Heero could feel the heavy rumble
of Hoffwin's voice on his back, smell the sickly tang of fear permeating
his clothes. This man was afraid, terribly afraid, and desperate. Well,
he should be. It was sheer suicide to enrage Shinigami, the God of Death's
retaliation was always lethal.

There! Just to his left. A familiar shape, dressed in black and white.
Duo, Duo had come for him. Duo...

"Now, we're just going to take a little stroll. Don't try to follow
us." Heero felt himself being dragged backwards, away from his rescuers,
away from Duo! No! No! He didn't want to leave, he wanted to stay with Duo!

Gathering up what scattered shreds of his failing strength remained Heero
threw everything into a final desperate ploy.

Dr. Hoffwin's concentration was directed towards the three before him,
sparing his hostage nothing. The young man was virtually a corpse, so attention
would've been wasted on him. This line of thought was to prove the doctor's
greatest, and last, mistake.

Duo saw a sliver of intelligence flare in Heero's eyes and quickly laced
his fingers around the pommel of his hunting knife.

Heero moved.

Hoffwin gasped, doubling over as Heero jabbed him sharply in the ribs
with one elbow. His grip on the young man's waist loosened and he fell bonelessly
to the floor.

Before the Doctor could recover Duo was on him.

Quatre and Sally saw Duo leap over Heero's prone form, knocking the older
man back and away from the incredibly vulnerable man. The braided pilot
roared, venting days of worry, frustration, fear, and anger in a flurry
of blows and kicks. Kept off balance by the continuing attack Hoffwin barely
managed to defend himself. Duo was ruthless, never giving his opponent even
a moment's respite.

Pulling the long blade from it's sheath Duo slashed the sharp edge along
Hoffwin's arm, reveling in his scream. Again and again he struck, savoring
each new cry, each new stream of blood. Finally tiring of this game Duo
moved in closer to finish it.

Hoffwin saw the blade shift it's arch, watching in stunned horror as
his belly was slashed wide open, spilling his intestines down his legs to
pool in a bloody pile at his feet. Already in shock from both bloodloss
and the beating Duo had delivered Hoffwin barely felt anything, even when
Duo slashed his throat, going so deep as to nearly sever the head completely.
The American watched in smug satisfaction as the man who'd tortured his
beloved Heero fall backwards, blood fountaining from his severed jugular,
the contents of his abdomen twisting about his body as it twitched in it's
death throes.

Sally was already at work on Heero by the time Duo turned away from the
cooling corpse.

The young woman cursed as she worked furiously to stabilize her patient
before attempted to move him.

It was so hard. She had no idea what drugs were currently floating about
in his system, save that one of them must have been a powerful sedative
to keep Heero controlable. But what else? Anything she tried ran the risk
of causing a lethal reaction of some kind.

"Quatre, give him some oxygen," she made her decision. "I
can't risk giving him anything till I know what drugs were used on him."

Quatre did has Sally ordered. Together they watched and sighed in relief
as Heero's breathing steadied and deepened, just slightly. But that was
the better than nothing.

"We haven't any choice." Sally looked him strait in the eye.
"Duo, Heero needs to be in a hospital. The sooner the better."

Duo's eyes returned to Heero. He lay on the cold floor, shivering uncontrollably.
Pulling off his own jacket the braided man gently wrapped his husband in
it's warm folds. Once satisfied Heero was covered as best as possible Duo
gathered Heero up into his arms.

He felt so light!!

How much weight had Heero lost? Rage flared within him once more and
was ruthlessly squashed down. He didn't have time to waist on such matters.

Mindful of the possiblity of internal injuries Duo rose carefully to
his feet, cradling his precious burden to his chest.

"Okay, let's go."

Sally remained close to the pair as the group began retracing their steps.
Duo's hands were full, leaving both young men vulnerable, without any way
to defend himself or his husband. This left Sally and Quatre to shoulder
that burden. Neither would allow another injury to be visited on the fragile
bundle which Duo so lovingly clutched to his breast.

The soft light built into the headboard gave the bed's occupant
a false appearance of health, casting color, warming what the blonde knew
to be marble-pale skin. Heero didn't move. No shifting in his sleep. No
twitch in response to some dream or nightmare. Air barely stirred the other
man's lungs, the rise and fall of his chest almost invisible to the naked
eye.

The only clear indication that Heero was indeed alive was the steady
beep of the monitors and Duo's gentle grip on one limp hand.

Slipping silently within, the little Arabian deposited the tray
of tea, sandwiches, and soup on the nearest flat surface. Once free of his
burden he crossed the room to stand by Duo's side.

It hurt on so many levels to see Heero reduced to this..this inert
shadow of his former self. Pain at the thought of what Heero endured at
the hands of that Doctor and that twisted freak Relena. Pain for not being
able to reach Heero sooner than they did. But perhaps the deepest pain was
the sight before him now, and the days and nights before this; having to
watch Duo and Zechs' agony.

Both Sally and Doctors here at the hospital held out little hope
that Heero would recover after receiving a full breakdown of the drugs loaded
into his system. Abuse, stress, malnutrion, and the heavy drugs had severly
taxed his body to it's limits and beyond. All they could do was filter his
blood periodically with a dialysis machine to assist his kidneys in flushing
the drugs and pray his famous resiliancy pulled him through.

Duo and Zechs didn't take this news well. Duo practically fell
to his knees and begged Sally to do something, anything, to ensure Heero's
recovery. Zechs kept asking if there was anything they could do, anything
that Heero needed that they could retrieve. When they were told no more
could be done the braided man broke down and cried, curled up in his husband's
arms, releasing a week's worth of pent up emotions in one earth shattering
three hours of tears. After exhaustion finally claimed him Duo wasn't even
aware of Zechs carrying him to Heero's room and tucking him into the other
bed. Not a single person present believed for a second that they could possibly
keep Duo away from Heero's side once he awakened.

Time proved them right.

The moment Duo awoke he positioned himself by his beloved's bedside,
sitting in the chair, moving away only to shower, use the bathroom, and
check on his other husband and children. He spent hours talking to Heero,
telling him of all the things they'd do together once he was well again.
Duo diligently assisted Sally in massaging and stretching Heero's limbs
to encourage the remaining drugs out of the muscles. Duo bathed Heero, clothed
him, and monitored the IVs and various machines which were supporting the
Japanese man's faltering body. Each day was a trial for the close family,
the constant threat that Heero's body would fail in it's uphill struggle
for survival loomed large in their minds.

As the days passed into weeks the others began to worry about Duo
as much as they worried about Heero. The braided man was worn thin by the
stress. He barely ate, barely slept. In a nutshell, Duo looked like death
warmed over, almost as bad as Heero did. The nurses on duty avoided coming
into the room unless they knew one of the others was within. It seemed that
several had been frightened when Duo came out of the shadows unexpectedly
after visiting the bathroom.

Everyone took turns watching over Heero with Duo, using this time
to urge their friend into eating a bit or taking a nap.

Trowa entered the room, having stepped out momentarily to check
on Calida, and came to stand by his golden angel.

"How long has he been out?" Quatre slipped one arm around
the taller man's waist.

Duo's upper body rested on Heero's bed, head pillowed on one arm.
Sleeping in a chair wasn't as good, or as comfortable, as sleeping in the
room's other bed but Duo flatly refused to leave his position at his husband's
side.

Quatre sighed and Trowa drew him closer, sheltering his smaller
husband in his warm embrace, offering silent comfort. For a few moments
Quatre allowed himself the luxury of accepting the taller man's soothing
before reality returned and he reluctantly pulled away. "I'll make
sure he eats.

Soft lips brushed his forehead. "Call if you need anything."

"I will. Goodnight Trowa."

"Goodnight Quatre."

The door clicked shut. Quatre remained frozen for a moment then
turned to his duties. As much as he loathed to wake the American, Duo desperately
needed rest, but he needed to eat just as badly.

Duo frowned, shifted, and mumbled something too low for the other
to hear.

"Wake up Duo." He shook him lightly. "Wake up, I've
got something for you to eat."

Blinking owlishly, beautiful violet eyes glazed with sleep and
still shadowed with exhaustion gazed up at him. A pale imatation of that
famous Duo smile graced his heart-shaped face.

"Hey Quatre," Duo yawned as he sat up, winching as muscles
protested the abuse sleeping in this chair was putting them through. "Whatcha
doing here? Your turn to babysit?"

Quatre relaxed a little. It was reassuring somehow to know that
not even the events of these last few weeks couldn't completely quell Duo's
spirit.

"I've brought you something to eat Duo, you really need it."
He sat the tray on the bedstand.

Duo eyed the tray's contents dubiously. Okay, he knew he really
needed to eat something. He couldn't remember when was the last time anything
other than coffee had passed his lips. Zechs had tried to entice him with
some sandwiches the last time he was here but Duo only managed to nibble
a little. He just couldn't get an appetite up.

"Quatre...I don't think.." He began.

"No, don't say anything." The Arabian man waved an admonishing
finger. "You have to eat Duo. You're not taking very good care of yourself
right now. Just how do you expect to take care of Heero when your confined
to the bed besides his? Zechs has his hands full with worrying over the
two of you and the kids. You're not being fair to him either."

"Quatre.." Duo tried again.

But Quatre was not to be denied. "Duo, eat!"

Admitting defeat Duo sighed and reached for the mug of soup. Under
the other man's stern gaze Duo ate. After the first swallow his appetite
began to return with a vengeance and he found himself devouring the simple
fare quickly. Blinking in surprise when there was nothing left but small
crumbs. He hadn't realized he was so hungry.

Quatre couldn't lie, not about this. "I don't know Duo, really
I don't. We just have to wait and pray. Sally and the staff here have done
everything they can. It's all up to Heero now."

"Whata I do if Heero doesn't..." Duo couldn't bring himself
to say it.

Quatre couldn't think of anything to say on that matter.

The first thing he became fully aware of as he came to was the
familiar sensation of honey-tinted silken strands sliding across the back
of his hand. Gradually other things intruded into his awareness.

Aches and pains gained during his torturous incarceration were
numbed, and he basically ignored them as he was trained to.

The room he was in was dimly lit and comfortably warm, such a blessed
change from that harsh cell. Heero could clearly feel the IV lines running
into his arms. An oxygen tube was positioned beneath his nose, providing
much needed support to his weakened lungs. Soft clean sheets covered his
gowned frame. The bandages over his various injuries fresh and clean.

A soft rythmic buzzing caught his attention.

Heero's lips quirked into a faint smile. Duo continously swore
up and down to him and Zechs that he never snored. If only he could hear
himself right now. A regular little buzzsaw.

Moving his head wasn't quite as painful as the Japanese man had
feared. At this new angle Heero could quite clearly see the source of those
regular snores.

Duo sat close to his bed, upper body leaning forwards to rest on
the mattress. His head lay close to where their hands rested clasped together,
loose strands of hair escaping from his usually neatly plaited braid.

( He looks so worn down.) Heero noted the shadows beneath those
beloved violet eyes. ( Hasn't he been taking care of himself? Where's Zechs?
Surely he wouldn't let Duo get like this.)

Just to Duo's right Quatre slept peacefully, curled up like a contented
cat in the soft chair.

Duo twitched, a frown marring that heart-shaped face, as he slipped
into another of his nightmares.

Heero was used to this.

In this he and his husbands were very much alike, all three plagued
by reoccuring nightmares of their past that sometimes cropped up when they
least expected it. Old horrors tearing apart their quiet slumber, robbing
them of precious rest and peace. When these terrors came Heero could always
count of Zechs and Duo to soothe them away, just they could count on him
to do the same when it was their turn.

Duo gasped, the nightmare was getting out of control. Heero tried
to reach out, lay a conforting hand on his husband's head, only to be shocked
and scared at how little strength he possessed. Well, he'd just have to
try talking.

"Duo.." Kami! He sounded like a sick frog!

The braided head stirred slightly.

"Duo.." There, a little louder, but it hurt like hell.
His throat was bone dry.

Duo's head twisted and his eyes opened, looking blearily at his
beloved even as Quatre began to stir.

"Duo.." He tried again.

Duo's head snapped up, eyes owlishly wide. "He...Heero??"

"Duo."

"OH GOD!! I thought I'd lost you!!" Duo sobbed, raising
Heero's hand to his lips in a loving gesture which brought unexpected tears
to Heero's eyes. Quatre's eyes were brimming with tears of joy as he stood
silently by and watched the two lovers reunited before leaving to wake the
others and Sally. As much as he wanted Duo to be alone with Heero right
now he knew the other man needed to be examined.

"Here, hold on a sec." Duo laid his hand down and reached
for the cup on the nightstand. Holding it steady he watched as Heero drank
the water from the offered straw.

Heero swallowed slowly, savoring the clear liquid like it was the
finest wine, feeling the dry flesh of his throat and mouth soak up the blessed
moisture. Releasing the straw he closed his eyes, sighing in contentment.

Duo replaced the cup.

"How long have I been out?" Heero asked.

Duo reclaimed Heero's hand. "Heero, I really think you.."

"How long?"

"Almost three weeks." He murmured. "You were so
full of drugs Sally had to use dialysis to clean your blood, you're kidneys
almost shut down."

"Three weeks?" Heero couldn't believe it.

"We've all been working with you. Taking turns setting and
talking, exercising your arms and legs, keeping you clean. Me, Zechs, Trowa,
Quatre, Beathan, and hell even Wufei did some rounds with you. He knows
a lot about old chinese medicines and massages."

"But..."

Heero was interupted as the door burst open and the whole gang
came tumbling in, followed by a more sedate, but no less pleased, Sally
Po.

"Welcome back Heero." Wufei's smile was wide and warm,
a perfect echo of his husband's. Beathan was even crying as he hugged Wufei
close from behind.

"Heero, Heero.." Zechs was there besides the bed, tears
falling from his blue eyes as he bent down to place several soft kisses
on his husband's face.

The children were milling about their parents, peering excitedly
at the bed, hopping up and down in an effort to get a better look at Heero.
Darius and Alessandra climbed up into Duo's lap and were now trying to climb
up onto the bed to hug their other Papa, only Duo's arms around their waists
restraining them.

Sally refrained from adding her welcome as she was busy checking
her patient's vitals and the readouts from several of the machines. Finally
she seemed satisfied and at last turned to regard the pale man in the bed.

"Well Heero, you gave us all quite a scare, you know that?"

"Sorry."

"Don't be kid, wasn't your fault."

Heero smiled. "When are you going to stop calling me that?
There's only a few years difference between the two of us you know."

"I'll stop calling you kid on the day I die. Consider it a
blessing Heero, there's so many other things I could call you."

Heero snorted. "Have I truly been here three weeks?"

"Hey!" Duo looked insulted. "I don't lie remember?"

"Yes, you have." She sat on the bed's side reguarding
him thoughtfully. "Heero, I hope you understand you might be in here
for while, you're a long way from recovered. Even with you remarkable resiliancy
and recuperative powers, it's going to be weeks before you regain your full
strength, maybe even months."

"I think I'll just sedate you, at least then my nerves would
get some rest."

"Oh no you don't!" Duo shot back. "He just woke
up!"

"Just kidding Duo, I prefer him awake anyway. All right, we'll
try for two weeks. But you're going to have a few rules to follow. Don't
glare at me Heero, this is for your own good. If I don't lay down some restrictions
you'll just go and push yourself right into a relapse."

Heero remained silent. What could he say when he knew she was right.

"Good," Sally now glanced at the sea of concerned faces
around the bed. "All of you listen up. Duo and Zechs can't watch Heero
all the time so I expect you to keep helping them out."

"We intended to anyway Sally." Beathan replied for them
all.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Duo nearly cried again. "Thanks guys!"

Heero didn't care for the rules Sally laid out very much. She'd
confined him to the bed for the next ten days, put him on a soft and bland
food diet, and refused to remove the catheter. That last one really annoyed
him. He hated those damm things.

And his family was driving him crazy. He had thought they'd be
on his side. Let him up out of this damm bed to test his feet, maybe slip
in a hamburger or something. But no, they followed Sally's rules to the
letter. He couldn't so much as slip a foot out from under the covers before
one of the others was there tucking it back in and admonishing him for disobeying
his Doctor. And the food tasted absolutely awful, when it had taste at all.
Most his meals consisted of a bowl of cream of wheat that had the consistancy
and flavor of wallpaper paste. Bleah!

He chaffed at being confined in the hospital bed. It might've been
at least tolerable if there had at least been a window to look out of instead
of these four white walls. His only bright area in this white prison was
his family, as infuriating as being stuck here was at least he had them
to support him, no matter how frustrating they could be.

Duo and Zechs were there every day, talking to him, or just setting
with him as he slept. Occasionally they'd bring the twins but it wasn't
often. As much as he loved the two little terrors their enthusiam was tiring.
Trowa and Quatre often read to him or watched the vid with him. Wufei was
attempting to teach him the finer points of poker, and Beathan had managed
to somehow hook him on archelogy. He listened as the redhead discribed various
digs he'd headed. Heero was especially interested in the one that ended
up giving Beathan that scar on his shoulder and Wufei accepting his proposal
of marriage. That was certainly something he wished he could've seen.

With his family to keep his mind from dwelling too much on his
condition Heero improved faster than Sally had anticipated. He was up and
walking before ten days were up, and soon was up to eating more substantial
food. Heero nearly kissed Quatre when the blonde brought in some meals that
Beathan's mother had cooked especially for him.

One day Duo showed up carrying a large duffle bag which occasionally
moved.

"What have you go there Duo?" He laid his book aside
as the braided man sat the heavy bag on the bed with a thump.

"Oh, just a special little visitor." Duo smiled and unzipped
the bag.

With a growl Shinigami's head popped out. Heero chuckled as the
Corgi pulled himself free of the bag and came bouncing up the sheets to
tackle the Japanese man. Delighted laughter filled the air as the tri-color
Corgi began licking his face.

Shin stayed with Heero the whole day, occasionally hiding out in
the bathroom or under the bed when a nurse or Doctor came in.

"Duo, I need to ask." Heero said round lunch time as
they waited for Beathan to show up with the latest home-cooked meals. Shin
lay draped across his lap, a silly grin plastered on his muzzle as long
fingers kneaded his back and shoulders.

A frosty statement crept over his husband's face, violet eyes going
cold and hard. "Not what that bitch deserved if you ask me." He
growled.

"What happened?"

"Zechs got to her first, knocked her out and shipped her out
to a special ward for the incurably insane. Top notch according to him,
a real black hole of a place. Built specifically for the highly umbalanced
and dangerous patients. You know the type, homocidal mosters with a thirst
for bloodshed just like little miss pink psycho princess." He smiled
then. "The only she's leaving that place is in a body bag. Only those
with no hope at all of recovery are housed there. The guards have standing
orders to kill a patient before they allow anyone to take them outta their
cells."

"Oh Zechs," Heero shook his head sadly. He knew his platinum-haired
husband still had some feelings for Relena, after all she was his sister
and only other member of the original Peacecraft family left alive besides
himself. How it must have hurt him when he realized there wasn't any hope
for his sister's recovery from this madness.

"Yeah, he was really down in the dumps about it for days.
It didn't help none with your condition still up in the air."

Heero lay back, silent now safe for the soft sound of his breathing.
His fingers continued to move through Shin's fur, the motion soothing. Shin
certainly had no complaints about Heero petting him. The only thing the
dog objected to was the fact the female still lived. But seeing that at
the moment there was nothing he could do to alter that fact the Corgi wasn't
going to brood over it.

Both men turned when the door opened, expecting to their red-headed
friend carrying the old picnic basket his mother packed for them. Instead
it was Sally and one of the staff doctors.

The instant the man's eyes saw Shinigami draped over his patient
a frown settled onto his already pinched face.

"What is that filthy animal doing here? Get it out of here
immediately before I call security!" He snapped, pointing at the Corgi
who was now up on his feet and growling.

Shin snarled, planting his paws wide apart, ears partly laid back.
Who was this male? Why was he saying he had to leave? And what was the remark
about being filthy? Shin smelled much better than this new male.

"Luther, I'd be very careful what you say to that dog,"
Sally warned her companion. "He's much smarter than any other dog I've
met. He might decide to respond to your insult."

"He's an animal Sally, it's unsanitary." Luther insisted.
"And what could that little dog do to me?"

"Kill you, if he felt so inclined." Sally reached out
and patted Shin's head. "He has killed before in defense of his Masters.
You remember the photos of Relena I showed you, the ones with all the scars?"

"Yes, of course I do," he eyed the still angry dog with
loathing. "You never did tell me what caused those wounds."

"Well here's your answer!" Duo beamed proudly. "Shinigami
here was the one that messed up that bitch. All by himself!"

"This..this little dog did all that?" Now a small glimmer
of fear crept into the doctor's eyes.

"Yes he did. Now I don't think he'd do that to you Luther
for just insulting him, but it's better to be safe than sorry as the old
saying goes." The woman smirked at her companion's obvious discomfort.
"Why don't you apologize to Shinigami? I'm sure he'd feel more inclined
not to eat you if he knew you were sorry for insulting him."

"Apologize? To a dog!?" Luther began, thinking that maybe
his colleague was a little unhinged, only to stop when Shin's growls rose
in volume.

Tilting his head Shin listened to the male. It wasn't a very good
apology, but for now it'd do.

The Doctor sighed as Shin stopped growling and settled once more
into his former position.

"Have I ever told you Doctor Po that your taste in friends
is a bit bizarre?" He shot her a cold glare.

"Have I ever told you Doctor Milian that you are a rude, short-sighted
idiot?" She replied before either of her male friends could come to
her defense.

Doctor Milian left in a huff.

"The man's an imbecile, but he had one redeeming skill. There's
no one better than he is with an analyzer. Heero, I've got some good news
for you. Your latest bloodtests show the level of drugs remaining in your
system has dropped to almost below measure. Congratulations, you'll be heading
out here in another two days."

"YES!!" Duo whooped with joy, lunging forwards to grab
Heero in a hug.

"Frankly, I'm rather glad to get rid of you. Not that I have
anything against you Heero, but Duo here has frightened some of the floor
nurses into requesting shifts in the morgue."

"The morgue?" Heero was puzzled. Duo however was snickering.

"Yes, they say that at least in the morgue the corpses stay
on the slabs, they don't walk around frightening ten years off your life
by popping out of the shadows right in front of you."

"It was only a couple of times." Wide violet eyes pleaded
his innocence.

Sally shook her head. How could he look so innocent? Duo innocent?
Those two words definitely didn't go together when she thought of the braided
man. If he was innocent she was the Duchess of Spain.

"Promise me you'll stop terrifying the staff Duo, this place
can't afford to have nurses run screaming from the wards. It upsets the
other patients."

Duo pouted but finally agreed. It should've been enough to soothe
her nerves but the devilish glint in the man's eyes didn't bode well for
the hospital staff's peace of mind.

Sally sighed, it was going to be a long two days.

-------
A.C. 204 August
-------

"Congradulations Heero, you're pregnant."

Sally watched the three men hugging, sharing their joy.

"Are you sure this is okay Sally, I mean after all he went
through.." Duo began to ask the same old question as soon as he was
back in seat.

"Relax Duo, As I've told you a dozen times before Heero's
fully recovered. With care and proper monitoring I haven't the slightest
doubt he'll deliver two beautiful healthy babies."

"But twins put such a strain on the body," now it was
Zechs' turn to be doubtful.

"Heero's up to it." She laid a soothing hand on the platinum-haired
man's shoulder. "I want both of you to relax. You know that I never
would have agreed to this if I thought for one minute that Heero wasn't
capable of handling it."

"We know Sally, it's just so hard to stop." Duo blushed.

"I can understand that Duo." She smiled at the three
men. "Now why don't you head home and spread the good news. I do have
other patients to see."

After receiving three kisses and hugs Sally saw them out.

Outside in the car Heero was setting in between his husbands, a
tender smile on his face as he gently stroked his stomach, daydreaming of
their happy future.

The end!

Hah! Done! Done! I hoped you all liked it.
I thank all of you that gave me your opinions on this story and it's
predecessor. I promise there will be other stories in this universe. I have
ideas for some short stories and another long one about how Beathan purposed
to Wufei. I'm not sure if it's okay to post to this site, since it deals
with a period of time before Heero returned to Duo, and it deals with a
OCx5 pairing. I'll find out when I'm ready to post the first part. Maybe
I can work it so that it's Beathan telling Heero and the family about it
at Christmas or something.